Contributions to the Knowledge of the Diversity of the Chewing Lice Fauna in Turkey

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify the chewing lice which were sampled from the birds found dead during ornithological studies in the natural areas of Samsun, and transported to the laboratory of Ondokuz Mayis University, Veterinary Faculty, Department of Parasitology, between 2018 and 2020. All samples were collected by ectoparasite examination. The collected lice specimens were preserved in tubes with 70% alcohol. The specimens were cleared in 10% KOH for 24 h before being mounted in Canada balsam and identified under the light microscope. A total of 35 species under 3 families were detected in this study: Menoponidae: Colpocephalum apivorus, C. impressum, C. nanum, C. napiforme, C. turbinatum, Colpocephalum sp., Pseudomenopon dolium, Kurodaia subpachygaster, Ciconiphilus cygni, C. decimfasciatus, C. quadripustulatus, Menacanthus agilis, M. curuccae, M. eurysternus, M. gonophaeus, M. stramineus, Menacanthus sp., Trinoton anserinum, T. querquedulae; Laemobothriidae: Laemobothrion maximum; Philopteridae: Anaticola crassicornis, A. mergiserrati, Anatoecus cygni, Anatoecus sp., Aquanirmus podicepis, Brueelia merulensis, Columbicula columbae, Cummingsiella ovalis, Degeeriella fulva, D. fusca, D. phlyctopygus, Craspedorrhynchus aquilinus, Incidifrons fulicae, Ornithobius cygni, Philopterus atratus, Saemundssonia lari, Strigiphilus cursitans, and Quadraceps punctatus. The first records for the fauna of Turkey are: Anatoecus cygni, Ciconiphilus cygni, Colpocephalum apivorus, C. napiforme, Kurodaia subpachygaster, Ornithobius cygni, and Philopterus atratus. As a result of this study, the number of chewing lice species (Phthiraptera, Amblycera, and Ischnocera) detected on birds in Turkey reached 195 species.