The Chewing Lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Amblycera) of Japanese Pigeons and Doves (Columbiformes), with Descriptions of Three New Species.

The chewing louse fauna of pigeons and doves in Japan is reviewed based on published records and new collections. An updated checklist of the chewing lice of Japanese pigeons and doves is provided, and 3 new species are described: Columbicola asukae n. sp. and Coloceras nakamurai n. sp., both from Columba janthina Temminck, 1830 (Japanese wood pigeon), and Columbicola lemoinei n. sp. from Treron formosae permagnus Stejneger, 1887, and Treron formosae medioximus (Bangs, 1901) (whistling green-pigeons). This checklist includes data on the first records of Coloceras chinense (Kellogg and Chapman, 1902), Coloceras piriformis ( Tendeiro, 1969 ), and Columbicola guimaraesi Tendeiro, 1965, in Japan. New host records of Hohorstiella sp. from Columba janthina and Treron formosae permagnus, and Coloceras sp. from Treron sieboldii sieboldii (Temminck, 1835) (white-bellied green-pigeon) are provided.

Dioxins and related compounds in albatrosses from the Torishima Island, Japan: accumulation features by growth stage and toxicological implications.

Concentrations of dioxins and related compounds (DRCs), such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs), were determined in eggs, nestlings, and adults of black-footed albatross (BfA; Diomedea nigripes) and short-tailed albatross (StA; Diomedea albatrus) collected from the Torishima Island in Japan during 2002, which is one of their breeding grounds. Observed DRC concentrations, especially PCDFs and non-ortho Co-PCBs, in eggs of BfA and StA were relatively higher than those in other oceanic, coastal, and inland wild birds reported recently and were comparable to those in a pooled BfA egg from Midway Atoll in 1993, implying continuous input of these contaminants into open ocean and possible albatross-specific exposure. Concentrations of PCDDs except 12378-P5CDD and high-chlorinated PCDFs in 3-month-old BfA nestling were lowerthan those in 1-month-old nestling, indicating their developmental dilution. On the other hand, higher levels of T4-H6CDFs and Co-PCBs, especially low-chlorinated congeners such as 2378-T4CDF and T4CB77, were found in 3-month-old BfA nestling, suggesting specific exposure to these contaminants, possibly due to their higher transportability than high-chlorinated congeners. Estimated biomagnification factors of almost all the congeners in adults were apparently greater than those in nestlings, except 2378-T4CDF, T4CB77, and H7-O8-CDD/Fs. This could be due to preferential metabolism of 2378-T4CDF and T4CB77 and lower uptake efficiency of high-chlorinated congeners through the gastrointestinal tract in adults. Toxic equivalents in BfA and StA eggs estimated using WHO-avian toxic equivalency factors exceeded some toxicity thresholds for avian embryos, indicating possible adverse effects of DRCs to albatross embryos.

First record of Leptospira borgpetersenii isolation in the Amami Islands, Japan.

In 2003, a Leptospira survey was performed on Yoroshima Island of the Amami Islands located in the southwestern part of Japan. Seven Leptospira strains were isolated from the field rat Rattus rattus, which were identified as L. borgpetersenii by flaB sequencing, 16S rDNA sequencing and gyrB sequencing, and serovar Javanica was determined by a microscopic agglutination test. NotI-long restriction fragment analysis indicated that these isolates were genetically indistinguishable from an isolate from the Okinawa Islands. The present results suggest that L. borgpetersenii is migrating into the Amami Islands in Japan.

First detection of Rickettsia in soft-bodied ticks associated with seabirds, Japan.

Rickettsia was first detected in seabird soft-bodied ticks, Carios capensis and C. sawaii in Japan. According to sequence analysis, Rickettsia in Japan was identical to Rickettsia scc31 in C. capensis in the U.S.A. This suggested that an environmental circulation had consisted among microorganisms, ticks and long distance migratory seabirds around the Pacific Ocean.

Non-destructive monitoring of trace element levels in short-tailed albatrosses (Phoebastria albatrus) and black-footed albatrosses (Phoebastria nigripes) from Torishima Island, Japan using eggs and blood.

Concentrations of 18 trace elements (V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, Hg, Tl and Pb) were determined in abandoned eggs of short-tailed albatrosses and abandoned eggs and blood of black-footed albatrosses from Torishima Island, Japan in 2002. Mercury concentration was highest among the toxic elements in egg content of both the two species. In some egg contents of black-footed albatrosses, Hg concentrations were higher than the threshold level that may cause decreased hatchability and aberrant nesting behavior in some avian species. Concentrations of Cd in egg content and Ba in egg content and shell increased with an increase in egg breadth/length ratio, whereas Hg in egg content showed an opposite trend in black-footed albatrosses. Since egg breadth/length ratio is known to increase with the age of mother bird, this result may imply that concentrations of these elements in eggs vary with age of mother bird. In blood of black-footed albatross chicks, concentration of Hg was highest among the toxic elements and the Hg concentration showed an increase in the later growth stages. In contrast, concentration of Sr in blood decreased with growth stage. Since the behaviour of Sr is similar to that of Ca in animals, it is conceivable that Sr was used along with Ca for the formation of bone.

Ixodes philipi: redescription of female and first description of male, with records from streaked shearwater in Japan (Acarina: Ixodidae).

Ixodes philipi Keirans & Kohls, 1970 is so far known only from two female specimens taken from the streaked shearwater, Puffinus leucomelas (Temminck, 1835) [presently Calonectris leucomelas (Temminck, 1835)], or the madeiran storm-petrel, Oceanodroma castro (Harcourt, 1851), in Japan. We redescribe the female and describe the male of this species. We used nine adults (four males and five females) taken from the bodies of C. leucomelas and/or soil samples of their nest burrows in Japan, indicating that C. leucomelas is the main natural host bird of I. philipi.