The ischnoceran louse, Lipeurus tropicalis, which normally infests Gallus gallus domesticus, was subjected to in vitro study (35 ± 1 C, 75-82% relative humidity, on a feather diet). The life table was computed, and its intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) was calculated using the data from in vitro experiments. The value of the intrinsic rate of natural growth (r) is 0.032. Given this rate, a population of L. tropicalis should double after 21.66 days, indicating that it is a moderately paced breeder.

Forficuloecus pezopori Martin, Keatley & Ash n. sp. from the western ground parrot Pezoporus flaviventris North, 1911 (Psittaculidae) is proposed based on combined evidence from morphology and COI mitochondrial DNA. Phylogenetically, the new species is closest to its two known congeners from Western Australia: F. josephi Price, Johnson & Palma, 2008 from Bourke\'s parrot Neopsephotus bourkii (Gould, 1841) and the scarlet-chested parrot Neophema splendida (Gould, 1841), and F. palmai Guimarães, 1985 from the Australian ringneck parrot Barnardius zonarius (Shaw, 1805). Morphologically it is distinguishable by abdominal chaetotaxy and characters of the male genitalia, and is most similar to F. josephi and F. greeni Guimarães, 1985; the latter has no representative sequence data. Forficuloecus pezopori is the eleventh species of its genus and the only metazoan parasite known from P. flaviventris, which is among Australia\'s most endangered vertebrates. The new louse is apparently restricted to P. flaviventris and is therefore co-endangered, facing at least the same likelihood of extinction as its host. We recommend ongoing translocation and field monitoring efforts for P. flaviventris include monitoring but not treatment for lice infestations in otherwise healthy individuals, and that the care management plan for captive P. flaviventris considers that F. pezopori is similarly imperilled.

Two African Cixiidae species names, Andes goniodes and Andes synavei proposed by Emeljanov in 2001 to correct two homonymies published by Synave in 1953, are synonymized respectively with Andes muiri and Andes spinifer, which were already proposed as replacement names by Synave in 1970. Additionally, the name Andes synafenni is proposed as new for the Vietnamese species Andes truncatus Fennah, 1978 preoccupied by the African species Andes truncatus Synave, 1953.

This study was carried out to detect the chewing lice species of domestic and wild birds in Türkiye, between the years of 2014-2021, and whether there is a correlation between the number of bird species and individuals and the prevalence, mean intensity and species of chewing lice. For this purpose, 206 bird samples as injured, or found dead on roads and gardens between these dates, in seventeen orders were examined for chewing lice. Of the 206 wild birds examined, 135 (65.53%) were infested with lice. A total of 73, of which 34 were Amblyceran and 39 were Ischnoceran chewing lice species, were identified. The genera Acidoproctus, Aegypoecus, Bonomiella, Esthiopterum, Gruimenopon, Heleonomus, Neopsittaconirmus, and the species Acidoproctus moschatae, Aegypoecus spp. (nymph), Amyrsidea minuta, Ardeicola maculatus, Ardeicola stellaris, Bonomiella columbae, Brueelia tasniemae, Colpocephalum nigrae, Colpocephalum percnopteri, Colpocephalum zerafae, Ciconiphilus pectiniventris, Esthiopterum gruis, Goniodes pavonis, Gruimenopon longum, Guimaraesiella amsel, Heleonomus macilentus, Kurodaia cryptostigmata, Kurodaia subpachygaster, Menacanthus kaddoui, Myrsidea isostoma, Neophilopterus tricolor, Neopsittaconirmus spp. (nymph), Pseudomenopon dolium, and Rallicola minutus are reported here for the first time. Based on statistical analysis, the host species and individual numbers are correlated with lice species numbers. It was also found that the host individual number is correlated with the mean intensity of the lice. Our results indicate that a large number of samples belonging to different host species are important in terms of data reliabilty.

The chewing louse genus Eutrichophilus Mjöberg has 19 species only associated with porcupines (Rodentia: Erethizontidae). Of these species, E. cercolabes, E. cordiceps, E. emersoni, E. minor, E. moojeni, and E. paraguayensis have been recorded in Brazil. In the present study, we report E. cordiceps for the first time in the São Paulo State (Bauru Municipality) and for the second time in the Santa Catarina State (Lages Municipality), providing scanning electron images and light microscopy for the eggs, as well as the first molecular data (18S rRNA) for the genus. Additionally, Bartonella sp. was detected for the first time in this chewing lice species.

A total of 1,621 wild birds representing 34 species were examined for chewing lice in reed beds in southwestern Slovakia during the pre-breeding migration 2008-2009 and 2016-2019. A total of 377 (23.3%) birds representing 15 species were parasitized by 26 species of chewing lice of 12 genera. Dominant genera were Penenirmus (with dominance 32.6%) and Menacanthus (29.4%), followed by Brueelia (12.6%), Acronirmus (10.8%), Philopterus (7.7%), and Myrsidea (4.2%). We evaluated 33 host-louse associations including both 1) host-generalist, parasitizing more than one host species and host-specific lice, occurring only on a single host species, and 2) lice species with large range geographic distribution, reported across the range of the distribution of their hosts and lice species with only occasional records from a limited area within the range of their hosts. The Bearded Reedling, Panurus biarmicus (Linnaeus, 1758), was parasitized by two species of chewing lice, Menacanthus brelihi Balát, 1981 and Penenirmus visendus (Złotorzycka, 1964), with conspicuously different prevalences (5.6% vs. 58.2%, respectively; n = 251). New material enabled us to redescribe both species of lice: the first one is resurrected from previous synonymy as a valid species. A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene was sequenced from these two species in order to assess their relative phylogenetic position within their genera. Our study demonstrates the importance of an adequate identification of parasites, especially on rarely examined and endangered hosts.
UNASSIGNED: Mallophages de la Panure à moustaches (Panurus biarmicus) et diversité des associations mallophages-hôtes des oiseaux dans les roselières en Slovaquie.
UNASSIGNED: Au total, 1 621 oiseaux sauvages représentant 34 espèces ont été examinés à la recherche de mallophages dans les roselières du sud-ouest de la Slovaquie au cours de la migration de pré-reproduction 2008–2009 et 2016–2019. Parmi ceux-ci, 377 oiseaux (23,3 %), représentant 15 espèces, étaient parasités par 26 espèces de mallophages de 12 genres. Les genres dominants étaient Penenirmus (avec une dominance de 32,6 %) et Menacanthus (29,4 %), suivis de Brueelia (12,6 %), Acronirmus (10,8 %), Philopterus (7,7 %) et Myrsidea (4,2 %). Nous avons évalué 33 associations mallophage-hôte comprenant à la fois 1) des espèces de mallophages généralistes, parasitant plus d’une espèce hôte, et des mallophages spécifiques, présents uniquement sur une seule espèce hôte et 2) des espèces de mallophages ayant une large répartition géographique, signalées à travers l’étendue de la répartition de leurs hôtes, et des espèces de mallophages avec seulement des observations occasionnelles dans une zone limitée à l’intérieur de l’aire de répartition de leurs hôtes. La Panure à moustaches, Panurus biarmicus (Linnaeus, 1758), était parasitée par deux espèces de mallophages, Menacanthus brelihi Balát, 1981 et Penenirmus visendus (Złotorzycka, 1964), avec des prévalences nettement différentes (respectivement 5,6 % et 58,2 %, n = 251). Du nouveau matériel nous a permis de redécrire les deux espèces de mallophages, la première étant ressuscitée de la synonymie précédente en tant qu’espèce valide. Un fragment du gène mitochondrial de la cytochrome oxydase I a été séquencé à partir de ces deux espèces afin d’évaluer leur position phylogénétique relative au sein de leurs genres. Notre étude démontre l’importance d’une identification adéquate des parasites, en particulier sur les hôtes rarement examinés et menacés.

Phthirapteran lice (true lice or parasitic lice) are a major group of ectoparasitic insects living on their bird or mammal hosts during their entire life cycle.1 Due to their highly specialized lifestyles, they are extremely poorly represented in fossil records.2 Molecular clock estimations have speculated extensively about the origin time of parasitic lice,3,4 yet none have been confirmed unequivocally. Herein, we report a new family of stem chewing lice, based on two adult insects associated with several semiplume feathers preserved within a piece of Kachin amber from the mid-Cretaceous. They display some defining characteristics of the Amblycera, an early-diverging lineage of the crown lice group. These features include a wingless body, chewing mouthparts, narrow and small thorax, and short tarsus with elongated euplantulae. Our phylogenetic analysis places the new taxa in the Amblycera, and the discovery thus pushes back the lice fossil records by at least 55 million years. Furthermore, the new specimens show primitive characters such as compressed and club-shaped terminal segments of antennae, maxillary and labial palps, and unmodified femora of hind legs, providing key information for the evolutionary relationship between free-living booklice and parasitic lice. This suggests that some ectoparasitic characters defining the crown lice group might have evolved among amblyceran and non-amblyceran lice in parallel. These newly described fossil specimens imply at least a Cretaceous age of Phthiraptera.

We report two new records of chewing lice from avian pets in Peninsular Malaysia: Colpocephalum apivorus Tendeiro, 1958 from an Oriental honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus (Temminck, 1821)), and Myrsidea splendenticola Klockenhoff, 1973 from an albino house crow (Corvus splendens Vieillot, 1817). The scarcity of louse records from avian pets and wild birds, and the lack of louse research in Malaysia are discussed.

Chewing lice (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera and Amblycera) are permanent ectoparasites of birds and primarly feed on the feathers and scales of birds. To detect the chewing lice species found on birds in Aras basin, Igdir, Türkiye, a total of 240 birds represented by 61 species belonging to 30 families in 13 orders were examined during the 2021 bird migration season. A total of 531 (186 females, 136 males and 209 nymphs) lice were collected from 75 individuals (31,25% of birds examined) of 26 species, 21 families and 10 orders. Thirty-one lice species (11 amblyceran and 20 ischnoceran species) in 22 genera were identified. Of these, 15 lice species were reported for the first time in Türkiye, namely Cuculiphilus fasciatus, Pseudomenopon qadrii, Philopterus sp., Ricinus serratus, Philopterus picae, Rostrinirmus buresi, Sturnidoecus sp., Philopterus excisus, Philopterus microsomaticus, Philopterus coarctatus, Brueelia fuscopleura, Sturnidoecus pastoris, Brueelia currucae, Penenirmus auritus and Strigiphilus tuleskovi. In addition, new host associations were reported for the lice species Kurodaia fulvofasciata, Degeeriella rufa and Myrsidea rustica.

Palestine hosts a large diversity of birds, with 393 recorded species, but little data are available on the chewing lice fauna found on these birds. In this study, we surveyed the species of chewing lice found on the common myna, Acridotheres tristis, which is one of the most invasive bird species in the world. Forty-five mynas were examined to collect their ectoparasites, which were preserved and slide mounted. Among the 1004 chewing lice processed, we identified two species: Menacanthus eurysternus (Burmeister, 1838) (prevalence 100%) and Brueelia chayanh Ansari, 1955 (prevalence 82.2%). No other species of chewing louse known from A. tristis in its native range was found, showing a possible sorting event in the founding population of common myna in the region. Prevalence (100%) and abundance (22.3) were high compared to similar studies of the common myna. To contribute to future research on the lice of common mynas, we provide an annotated checklist of the louse species reported from this host globally. Also, we redescribe and illustrate Brueelia chayanh, and place Sturnidoecus tristisae Bughio et al., 2018 as a new junior synonym of Sturnidoecus bannoo Ansari, 1968.