First record of Cebidicola armatus (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) on the Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Primate: Atelidae) in Brazil.

This study reports for the first time the infestation of Cebidicola armatus in Brachyteles hypoxanthus. In total, 14 lice were recovered of an individual in Minas Gerais, Brazil. These were subjected to a microscopic analysis and the identification of C. armatus was carried out through its very characteristic morphology.

D-limonene nanoemulsion: lousicidal activity, stability, and effect on the cuticle of Columbicola columbae.

The current study was conducted to investigate the efficacy and stability of D-limonene (DL) and its nanoemulsion (DLN) against pigeon feather lice (Columbicola columbae) and their mode of action. DL pure form and DLN were prepared and characterized freshly and after storage for 50 days. In vitro bioassay on live lice was conducted with different concentrations of DL, DLN, and deltamethrin (DM). The results revealed significant mortality rates in the DL-, DLN-, DM-treated groups when compared with the control (p < 0.05). The scanning electron micrographs of lice treated with DL and DLN revealed collapsed bodies with destruction in the cuticle of the mouthparts and damaged antennae. The 50 days stored DLN showed stability in their effectiveness when compared with the freshly prepared formulation. DL and DLN caused significant inhibition (p ≤ 0.05) in acetylcholinesterase activity (AchE). Malondialdehyde level (MDA) was significantly increased while glutathione was significantly decreased in DL- and DLN-treated lice. In conclusion, DL and DLN have significant lousicidal activities. DLN showed better stability than DL after storage for 50 days. In addition, the mode of action of DL may associate with its effect on the cuticle of the lice body, inhibition of AchE, and increasing oxidative stress in the treated lice.

First report of classical knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation, L1014F, in human head louse Pediculus humanus capitis (Phthiraptera: Anoplura).

There are at least three known knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations reported globally in the human head louse Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) that are associated with reduced sensitivity to pyrethroids. However, the prevalence of kdr mutation in head lice is not known in the Indian subcontinent. To identify kdr mutations in the Indian head lice population, the genomic region of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene encompassing IIS1-2 linker to IIS6 segments was PCR-amplified and sequenced from P. humanus capitis samples collected from different geographic localities of India. DNA sequencing revealed the presence of four kdr mutations: M827I, T929I, L932F and L1014F. The presence of a classical kdr mutation L1014F, the most widely reported mutation across insect-taxa associated with the kdr-trait, is being reported for the first time in P. humanus capitis.

Chewing lice of passerine birds in reed beds in Slovakia, with a special focus on Panurus biarmicus.

A total of 1185 passerine birds representing five species were examined for chewing lice in reed beds in southwestern Slovakia in spring (April) 2008, 2009 and 2016. Additional collecting focused only on chewing lice from Panurus biarmicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Passeriformes: Panuridae) was carried out in spring (April), summer (July) and autumn (October) 2019. A total of 283 (24%) birds were parasitized by 10 species of chewing lice of four genera: Penenirmus, Menacanthus, Philopterus, and Brueelia. Most birds showed only very light (1-10 lice/host; 74%) to light infestations (11-20 lice/host; 16%). The authors found significantly higher prevalences and mean abundances of chewing lice on residents/short-distance migrants, that is, P. biarmicus, Acrocephalus melanopogon (Temminck, 1823) (Passeriformes: Acrocephalidae), than on long-distance migratory birds, that is, Acrocephalus scirpaceus (Hermann, 1804), Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Passeriformes: Acrocephalidae), Locustella luscinioides (Savi, 1824) (Passeriformes: Locustellidae). No significant difference was found in the total mean intensity of chewing lice between these two groups of birds. Ischnoceran lice were more prevalent and abundant than amblyceran lice on residents and short-distance migrants, whereas the opposite was found on bird species that migrate long distances. A total of 146 (58%, n = 251) P. biarmicus were parasitized by 1490 chewing lice. Males of P. biarmicus showed higher prevalence and mean abundance than females with gradually descending values of prevalence, mean abundance and mean intensity from spring to autumn. The knowledge of the occurrence and population dynamics of lice on wild passerine birds can be useful in endangered species conservation programs and can also be applied to captive passerine birds, which may be analogous to resident birds in this sense.

Infestation rates of lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus on Atlantic salmon in fixed and towed sentinel cages.

Sea lice are a key limitation to sustainable salmon aquaculture, and effective monitoring strategies are critical for the management of these parasites. Sentinel cages are an established means of assessing infestation pressure at fixed locations, but as smolts move through systems they will be exposed to varying lice densities. As a means of assessing infestation pressure along trajectories, we describe the development and application of towed sentinel cages (TSCs) in a Scottish sea loch containing salmonid aquaculture. Trial deployments took place over 3 yr (2016-2018), and levels of sea lice infestation were compared between methodologies. Oceanographic data was collected alongside TSCs to put the results into the environmental context that smolts and sea lice experienced during the tows. The sea lice infestation rates found from TSCs were comparable to those on contemporaneously deployed fixed sentinel cages. Thus, due to their practicability and consistency with other surveillance methods, TSCs could be used to improve the assessment of exposure risk along wild salmonid smolt migration trajectories, where these are known.

Development of molecular detection methods of Bovicola ovis from sheep fleece.

The sheep body louse (Bovicola ovis) commonly referred to as sheep lice are small chewing ectoparasites of sheep. Infection results in significant economic costs to the Australian sheep industry due to reduced wool quality caused by chronic itching from sheep rubbing and biting fleece. Treatment relies on use of insecticides; however, resistance has developed against pyrethroid and other insect growth regulator lousicides. There is urgent need to develop cost-effective lice management to reduce the use of insecticides, with the application of insecticidal treatments only applied when an infestation is detected. However, the current detection method relies on fleece parting for detection of B. ovis which is highly dependent on the skill of the inspector, the number of sheep examined, and the prevalence and severity of the infestation. To improve B. ovis detection, a highly sensitive (5 × 10-8 ng/µL) and specific multiplex quantitative PCR which simultaneously detects sheep lice and sheep DNA was developed. In addition, a B. ovis loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for field use. The B. ovis LAMP (Bov-LAMP) assay was optimized to reliably detect B. ovis from wool samples down to 5 × 10-6 ng/µL, with time to positive (Tp) < 10 min. Both assays demonstrate high sensitivity and specificity, enabling rapid identification of B. ovis DNA from sheep fleece samples and have the capacity to be used for ongoing management and surveillance of B. ovis in Australian sheep flocks.

Detection of deltamethrin, cypermethrin and flumethrin efficacy against buffalo lice-Haematopinus tuberculatus.

The cattle and buffalo farm practices have been adopted differently by farmers in India but the infestation of ectoparasites including louse has been advocated in high population of animals across the country. The aim of this study was to identify the louse morphologically and determine the in vitro efficacy of the insecticides deltamethrin, cypermethrin and flumethrin against the buffalo louse, Haematopinus tuberculatus. The present research work was conducted using lice collected from organized buffalo dairy farms of Mhow block, Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, India. The adult's lice were collected from heavily infested regions of the body and tail of buffaloes. Some of the collected adult's lice were preserved for morphological identification in 70% alcohol. Briefly, in vitro treated surface bioassay utilizing a cloth rectangle that allows lice to move freely has been used. The concentrations were prepared as 30, 60, 90 and 120 ppm for deltamethrin and flumethrin, whereas for cypermethrin, 100, 200, 300 and 400 ppm concentrations were prepared in distilled water. The 600 µl of each concentration was spread evenly over a cloth rectangle held in the bottom of a Petri plate. Ten adult lice were used for each concentration in triplicate (n = 30) and the same is maintained for control. The vitality of the louse was assessed at various intervals: 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 min. The lousicidal efficacy was determined by using in vitro bioassays with deltamethrin, cypermethrin and flumethrin. It is observed that as the concentration of insecticides increases with exposure time, mortality of lice is also increased. The current study reveals that cypermethrin and flumethrin were effective in their recommended doses but in the case of deltamethrin, the lice showed a low level of resistance. Furthermore, this type of study on buffalo louse has not conducted in Mhow region of Madhya Pradesh where heavy infestation of lice occurs on buffalo.

Presence of one ecto- and two endoparasite species of the black stork (Ciconia nigra) in Portugal.

BACKGROUND: The black stork (Ciconia nigra Linnaeus, 1758) is a recognized endangered species in Europe and most of the specimens from the Western Palearctic region breed in the Iberian Peninsula. Available works regarding parasites in black storks are scarce. This work reports the presence one ecto- and two endoparasite species from a black stork in Portugal. CASE PRESENTATION: A black stork was found in southern Portugal after colliding against electric cables. The specimen did not survive its sustained injuries and a post-mortem exam was performed. During the procedure, several ecto- and endoparasite specimens were found. The collected parasites were lice (Neophilopterus tricolor), nematodes (Desportesius sagittatus) and trematodes (Cathaemasia hians). CONCLUSIONS: Three different species of parasites are reported from a black stork in Portugal. Ecto- and endoparasites of C. nigra have not frequently been described in the literature, and this case report is a contribution to the field. Additional studies will be important to better understand the impact that parasites can have on C. nigra health and survival.

Sex interacts with age-dependent change in the abundance of lice-infesting Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis).

Sex-biassed and age-biassed parasite infections are common in nature, including ectoparasites-vertebrate host systems. We investigated the effect of Amur Falcons' sex, age and body size on the abundance of their lice at a migratory stopover site, where the falcons' habitat use and behaviour are more homogeneous across sex and age categories than during the breeding season. We sampled Amur Falcons in Nagaland, India at major roosting sites in 2016. We applied generalized linear models (with negative binomial distribution and log-link) to model the abundance of their two most numerous lice (Colpocephalum subzerafae and Degeeriella rufa) using the host age category (juvenile or adult) and wing length, both in interaction with sex, as explanatory variables. The abundance of C. subzerafae was only affected by host age, being nearly four times higher on juveniles than on adults. Juveniles were also more infested with D. rufa than the adults. Additionally, the abundance of the latter species was lower on adult male Falcons as compared to adult females. A juvenile bias in ectoparasite infestations is common in nature, probably due to juveniles being immunologically naïve, more resource-limited and may be inexperienced in body maintenance behaviours like preening and grooming. On the other hand, female-biassed infestations are much rarer than male-biassed infestations. We briefly discuss the possible causes of female-biassed infestations on Amur Falcons reported here, and in the closely related Red-footed Falcon and Lesser Kestrel as reported in the literature.

First record of natural infection with Anaplasma marginale in sucking lice infesting the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Mexico.

The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is an Asian species of bovine which was introduced in Mexico in 1992, as an alternative for milk and meat production. However, little is known about its associated ectoparasites, in particular about their lice. As a part of a project to identify the diversity and prevalence of Anaplasma in cattle and water buffaloes in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, we visited a ranch in the downtown area in which 42 buffaloes were visually inspected for the presence of ectoparasites. Lice were manually recovered, and morphologically identified using taxonomic keys. They were also molecularly identified by the amplification of a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase C subunit I gene (COX1). As a result, we recovered 20 lice from eight animals. All lice were identified as Haematopinus tuberculatus, and the recovered sequences exhibited a similarity of 99.7% with those of the same species deposited in GenBank. Additionally, we detected the presence of Anaplasma marginale in 70% (14/20) of the analysed samples. Our results represent the first record of this exotic ectoparasite for the country.

Rapid detection of Bovicola ovis using colourimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP): a potential tool for the detection of sheep lice infestation on farm.

The sheep body louse, Bovicola ovis (B. ovis), is one of the most significant ectoparasites affecting Australia's sheep flocks. Despite this, detection methods for B. ovis infestation are limited to visual inspection and ELISA. A colourimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was developed and evaluated for the detection of B. ovis DNA. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of LAMP were compared with those of visual inspection and PCR and validated using field samples collected from 22 farms. Two different DNA extraction methods using a commercial kit and a boiling method were also compared. The highest sensitivity and specificity were observed when PCR was used and DNA was extracted using a commercial kit. Compared with PCR, the LAMP assay demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 92% when DNA was extracted by a commercial kit and 100% and 75% when DNA was extracted by the boiling method, respectively. The LAMP test developed in this study could potentially serve as a point-of-care diagnostic tool for monitoring of sheep flocks as well as surveillance of B. ovis populations.

Chewing lice from high-altitude and migrating birds in Yunnan, China, with descriptions of two new species of Guimaraesiella.

In total, 366 birds representing 55 species in 24 families and eight orders, were examined for chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) in two high-altitude localities in Yunnan Province, China. In Ailaoshan, almost all of the birds examined were resident passeriforms, of which 36% were parasitized by chewing lice. In Jinshanyakou, most birds were on migration, and included both passerine and non-passerine birds. Of the passerine birds caught in Jinshanyakou, only one bird (0.7%) was parasitized by chewing lice. The prevalence of Myrsidea and Brueelia-complex lice on birds caught in Ailaoshan was higher than in previous reports. Of the chewing lice identifiable to species level, three represent new records for China: Actornithophilus hoplopteri (Mjöberg, 1910), Maculinirmus ljosalfar Gustafsson & Bush, 2017 and Quadraceps sinensis Timmermann, 1954. In total, 17 new host records are included, of which we describe two as new species in the Brueelia-complex: Guimaraesiella (Cicchinella) ailaoshanensis sp. nov. ex Schoeniparus dubius dubius (Hume, 1874) and G. (C.) montisodalis sp. nov. ex Fulvetta manipurensis tonkinensis Delacour & Jabouille, 1930. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9FC3D8EE-2CED-4DBE-A1DB-471B71260D27.

Seven new species of Resartor Gustafsson et Bush, 2017 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from Asian 'babblers' (Passeriformes: Leiothrichidae, Paradoxornithidae).

Seven new species of chewing lice in the genus Resartor Gustafsson et Bush, 2017 are described and illustrated. They are: Resartor albofulvus sp. n. ex Heterophasia desgodinsi desgodinsi (Oustalet); Resartor apimimus sp. n. ex Heterophasia picaoides wrayi (Ogilvie-Grant); Resartor aterrimus sp. n. ex Minla ignotincta mariae La Touche; Resartor extraneus sp. n. ex Lioparus chrysotis swinhoii (Verreaux); Resartor guangxiensis sp. n. ex Trochalopteron milnei sinianum Stresemann; Resartor longisuturalis sp. n. ex Actinodura cyanouroptera wingatei (Ogilvie-Grant); Resartor seminudus sp. n. ex Leiothrix argentauris tahanensis (Yen). All species differ in the shape of the head, shape of the male genitalia and abdominal chaetotaxy. A checklist and a key to the species of Resartor are provided.

The role of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) as intermediate hosts in the transmission of Hymenolepis microps (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) from the willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus (Aves: Tetraonidae).

The cestode Hymenolepis microps is an intestinal parasite of tetraonid birds, including the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus). This parasite is able to maintain a high prevalence and intensity throughout the year, even in a subarctic environment in bird populations with relatively low host densities, indicating effective transmission routes. Willow ptarmigan consume mainly vegetal material and active consumption of invertebrates is confined to the first two or three weeks of life. Ptarmigan are infected by different species of ectoparasites, of which two species of feather lice, Lagopoecus affinis and Goniodes lagopi, are the most abundant. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that feather lice may be suitable intermediate hosts for H. microps. We applied histological techniques and light microscopy to investigate lice for the presence of larval cestode stages (cysticercoids). We found 12 cysticercoid-like structures inside chewing lice collected on L. lagopus hosts harbouring H. microps. In addition, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening of Ischnocera lice DNA, targeting the 18S rRNA gene of the cestode, showed positive results for two different short fragments of the 18S rRNA gene of H. microps which were sequenced from lice collected on birds. Both independent lines of evidence support the hypothesis that Ischnocera lice might be suitable intermediate hosts in the life cycle of H. microps in L. lagopus.

Ectoparasites of small-mammals: determinants of community structure in South American savannah.

This study aimed to assess the contribution of hosts characteristics (rodents and marsupials) in the organization of ectoparasite communities present in woodland patches in western central Brazil. We verified the effect of host species, sex, body mass and vertical strata in addition to the role of seasonality on the ectoparasite composition, richness and abundance. The total sampling effort was 22 032 trap-nights equally distributed in 54 woodland patches. Variance partition and principal coordinate analysis were used to verify the existence of significant relationships between response variables and predictors. As expected, host species was the most important variable in ectoparasite community assembly. The composition, richness and abundance of mites and lice were highly influenced by host species, although higher for mites than for lice. Host body mass had a determining role on the richness and abundance of tick species. Vertical stratification and seasonality had weak influence, while the sex of the host had no influence on the organization of these communities. The results are closely related to the evolutionary characteristics of the species involved, as well as with local environmental characteristics of the study area.

Does allopreening control avian ectoparasites?

For birds, the first line of defence against ectoparasites is preening. The effectiveness of self-preening for ectoparasite control is well known. By contrast, the ectoparasite control function of allopreening-in which one birds preens another-has not been rigorously tested. We infested captive pigeons with identical numbers of parasitic lice, and then compared rates of allopreening to the abundance of lice on the birds over time. We documented a negative relationship between rates of allopreening and the number of lice on birds. Moreover, we found that allopreening was a better predictor of louse abundance than self-preening. Our data suggest that allopreening may be a more important means of ectoparasite defence than self-preening when birds live in groups. Our results have important implications for the evolution of social behaviour.

Patterns of cryptic host specificity in duck lice based on molecular data.

Documenting patterns of host specificity in parasites relies on the adequate definition of parasite species. In many cases, parasites have simplified morphology, making species delimitation based on traditional morphological characters difficult. Molecular data can help in assessing whether widespread parasites harbour cryptic species and, alternatively, in guiding further taxonomic revision in cases in which there is morphological variation. The duck louse genus Anaticola (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae), based on current taxonomy, contains both host-specific and widespread species. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences of samples from this genus were used to document patterns of host specificity. The comparison of these patterns with morphological variations in Anaticola revealed a general correspondence between the groups identified by DNA sequences and morphology, respectively. These results suggest that a more thorough taxonomic review of this genus is needed. In general, the groups identified on the basis of molecular data were associated with particular groups of waterfowl (e.g. dabbling ducks, sea ducks, geese) or specific biogeographic regions (e.g. North America, South America, Australia, Eurasia).

New host/parasite record for very rare chewing louse Cuculotogaster arabicus (Clay, 1938) (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) on endemic mountain partridges of Arabian Peninsula.

The endemic avifauna of Arabia is unique and characteristic through the whole region. Little is known about these birds and their ectoparasites. The Arabian partridge Alectoris melanocephala (Rüppell, 1835) and Philby's partridge Alectoris philbyi Lowe, 1934 are two endemic species which are distributed through the Sarawat Mountains in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Captive breeding population of these birds were examined for chewing lice at the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) near Ta'if. Only one rare species of louse, Cuculotogaster arabicus (Clay 1938), was found to infest these birds. The occurrence of such species is considered a first record of the genus Cuculotogaster from Saudi Arabia, and the association of C. arabicus with Philby's partridge is considered a new host/parasite association. The clear diagnostic characters, high definition photos, and drawing of male genitalia are available through this paper.