Chewing lice of Procellaria aequinoctialis Linnaeus, 1758 in Brazil with a new host record.

The white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) is a seabird widely distributed in the circumpolar sub-Antarctic islands and subtropical regions, including Brazilian waters. Among the parasites present on the white-chinned petrel are the chewing lice. This seabird is parasitized by 4 known lice species to date. In this study we evaluated the ectoparasites of 2 white-chinned petrels rescued by an animal rehabilitation center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and recorded 4 species of chewing lice, of which 3 are already known for this host. One of the species however, has never been recorded in Brazil and another one has never been recorded parasitizing P. aequinoctialis, making this a new host record.

THE CHEWING LICE OF BROWN BOOBY (SULA LEUCOGASTER) IN SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL.

The brown booby (Sula leucogaster Boddaert, 1783) has a wide geographic distribution, being found throughout the intertropical range except for the west coast of South America. Chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) are ectoparasites commonly found in association with a wide variety of bird species, and extensive infestations can lead to severe itching and irritation that causes skin lesions, damage to the plumage, and abandonment of nests. Sula leucogaster lice have an atypical distribution, not fully following the distribution of their host. In the years 2018 and 2019, 4 marine animal rehabilitation centers located in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil received live birds and carcasses of Sula leucogaster. The animals were deloused and lice of 2 different species were collected. Identification was performed by optical microscopy, and the species found were Eidmanniella albescens Piaget, 1880 and Pectinopygus garbeiPessoa and Guimarães, 1935. This is the first record of both species in Rio de Janeiro.

Chewing Lice of Fregata magnificens with First Record of Fregatiella aurifasciata (Phthiraptera: Amblycera) in Brazil.

The genus Fregata includes 5 species, with 3 recorded in Brazil, with Fregata magnificens being the most abundant. However, its ectoparasitic fauna is still little known. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of ectoparasites of F. magnificens residing along the coast of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo collected by 2 animal rehabilitation centers. Samples were collected from 5 frigatebirds of the Instituto Argonauta in São Paulo and 10 frigatebirds of the Centro de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens (CRAS) in Rio de Janeiro. Species of lice were identified using both morphological and molecular methods. Scanning electron microscopy was also used for identification. Colpocephalum spineum, Fregatiella aurifasciata, and Pectinopygus fregatiphagus were identified. All 3 louse species have previously been recorded from this host outside Brazil, but only P. fregatiphagus has been recorded from Brazil. This paper reports the first occurrence of F. aurifasciata and C. spineum in Brazil. It is also the first record of P. fregatiphagus in the state of Rio de Janeiro.