One new genus and three new species of the Penenirmus-complex (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) from China, with resurrection of Picophilopterus Ansari, 1947

Three new species of chewing lice of the Penenirmus-complex (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) are described and illustrated from woodpeckers (Picidae) and barbets (Megalaimidae) occurring in China. They are: Picophilopterus blythipici new species from Blythipicus pyrrhotis sinensis (Rickett, 1897), Laimoloima ruiliensis new genus, new species from Psilopogon asiaticus asiaticus (Latham, 1790), and Laimoloima tandani new genus, new species from Psilopogon virens virens (Boddaert, 1783). In addition, we provide illustrations of Picophilopterus pici sensu lato ex Picus canus sordidior (Rippon, 1906), and we present evidence that justifies resurrecting the genus Picophilopterus Ansari, 1947 to include the species infesting woodpeckers and Neotropical barbets (Capitonidae). Also, we erect the new genus Laimoloima to include the species from Asian barbets (Megalaimidae). The taxonomic position of Penenirmus species from African barbets (Lybiidae) and honeyguides (Indicatoridae) is unresolved. An updated checklist of the species in the Penenirmus-complex parasitic on non-passeriform hosts is provided, including species of the genus Turnicola Clay & Meinertzhagen, 1938.

An annotated catalogue of bird lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) from Chile

The species and subspecies of chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) parasitic on Chilean birds are listed and annotated, based on records published until October 2021 and from our examination of collections. The current scientific name, its taxonomic history, data on type material, type host, other hosts, geographic distribution within Chile and elsewhere, Chilean literature references and other significant references are given for each species or subspecies of lice. A total of four families, 76 genera, and 245 species and subspecies of lice are listed, including 17 species recorded as genus only, and 31 new records of species. A host-louse list—including a total of 155 bird species (146 native and nine introduced by human agency) belonging to 19 orders, 43 families and 107 genera—is also given.

An annotated checklist of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) from Slovakia

This checklist includes taxa of chewing lice from published records, old collections, and recently collected material from birds and mammals in Slovakia. Data from established collections correspond to five different periods: (1) 1925–1939, collection of Karel Pfleger; (2) 1946–1978, collection of František Balát; (3) 1974–1985, collection of Vladimír Straka; (4) 1997–2012, collection of Ján Krištofík; and (5) 2008–2019, a collection made by the authors of this paper. A total of 255 species of feather lice—67 amblyceran species in 22 genera of families Laemobothriidae, Menoponidae and Ricinidae, and 188 ischnoceran species in 54 genera of the family Philopteridae—and 366 host-louse associations are listed from 171 bird species in 21 orders. In addition, eight species of chewing lice in five genera of the family Trichodectidae are listed from eight species of mammals. Species of chewing lice are reported from about 240 different locations throughout the territory of Slovakia. Also, 43 species of lice and 20 host-louse associations for Slovakia, as well as four host-louse associations for the world, are included as new records. A host-louse list of recorded species is also given.

Extremely reduced supergroup F Wolbachia: transition to obligate insect symbionts

Wolbachia are widely distributed symbionts among invertebrates that manifest by a broad spectrum of lifestyles from parasitism to mutualism. Wolbachia Supergroup F is considered a particularly interesting group which gave rise to symbionts of both arthropods and nematodes, and some of its members are obligate mutualists. Further investigations on evolutionary transitions in symbiosis have been hampered by a lack of genomic data for Supergroup F members. In this study, we present genomic data for five new supergroup F Wolbachia strains associated with four chewing lice species. These new strains in different evolutionary stages show genomic characteristics well-illustrating the evolutionary trajectory which symbiotic bacteria experience during their transition to mutualism. Three of the strains have not yet progressed with the transition, the other two show typical signs of ongoing gene deactivation and removal (genome size, coding density, low number of pseudogenes). Particularly, wMeur1, a symbiont fixed in all Menacanthus eurystenus populations across four continents, possesses a highly reduced genome of 733,850 bp with a horizontally acquired capacity for pantothenate synthesis. Comparing with other strains showed wMeur1 genome as the smallest currently known among all Wolbachia and the first example of Wolbachia which has completed genomic streamlining known from the gammaproteobacterial obligate symbionts.

Restricted Geographic Sampling Yields Low Parasitism Rates but Surprisingly Diverse Host Associations in Avian Lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) from South Texas

South Texas is a highly variable region encompassing multiple habitat types and harboring a wide diversity of organisms. However, the parasite fauna in this region is poorly known, especially for avian ectoparasites such as lice. To better understand avian louse diversity and host associations in South Texas, we examined a total of 507 birds for chewing lice. Lice were morphologically identified to genus and phylogenetic analysis was performed using one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear (18S rRNA and EF-1α) genes. Of the birds examined, 69 (13.5%) were parasitized by lice resulting in a total of 63 host associations across 45 bird species, 29 of which were previously unrecorded. The predominant taxa encountered during this study included two of the most diverse louse genera, Myrsidea and Brueelia. Molecular analyses revealed 21 distinct genetic lineages, 17 of which are associated with novel host associations and may represent new species. This study represents the first extensive examination of avian louse host associations and relationships in Texas and reveals that there is still much to be learned about ectoparasite diversity in the New World.

Myrsidea quadrifasciata (Phthiraptera: Amblycera) – a unique host generalist among highly host-specific chewing lice

Ten species of the louse genus Myrsidea belonging to the “serini-species-group” have been reviewed. A redescription of Myrsidea quadrifasciata (Piaget, 1880), the earliest described and valid species of this species complex, is given and a neotype for this species is designated. Nine new junior synonymies of M. quadrifasciata are proposed and discussed. The new synonyms and their respective type hosts are: Myrsidea anoxanthi Price and Dalgleish, 2007 from Loxipasser anoxanthus (Gosse, 1847), Myrsidea argentina (Kellogg, 1906) from Spinus magellanicus (Vieillot, 1805), Myrsidea balati Macháček, 1977 from Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758), Myrsidea darwini Palma and Price, 2010 from Geospiza fuliginosa Gould, 1837, Myrsidea major (Piaget, 1880) from Plectrophenax nivalis (Linnaeus, 1758), Myrsidea serini (Séguy, 1944) from Serinus serinus (Linnaeus, 1766), Myrsidea queleae Tendeiro, 1964 from Quelea quelea lathami (Smith, A., 1836), Myrsidea textoris Klockenhoff, 1984 from Ploceus cucullatus cucullatus (Müller, 1776), and Myrsidea viduae Tendeiro, 1993 from Vidua macroura (Pallas, 1764). Intraspecific morphometric variability, relative genetic divergence (based on a 379 bp portion of the mitochondrial COI gene and a 347 bp portion of the nuclear EF-1α gene), geographical distribution, and host associations, including 8 new host records for these lice, are discussed. Taking into consideration these parameters we suggest that the only way to deal with these taxa is to follow concept of subspecies with the following taxa and their geographic distributon: Palearctic Region: M. q. quadrifasciata and M. q. serini, Neotropical Region: M. q. anoxanthi, M. q. argentina, M. q. darwini, Paleotropic Region: M. q. queleae, M. q. textoris and M. q. viduae.

New records for chewing lice of the genus Dennyus Neumann, 1906 (Phthiraptera: Amblycera) on two swifts from Saudi Arabia

Very little is known about the chewing lice fauna of Saudi Arabia especially from swifts (Apodidae). Swifts are common resident and migratory birds throughout Saudi Arabia. Two chewing lice genera are known for parasitising swifts throughout the world: Dennyus Neumann, 1906 and Eureum Nitzsch, 1818, none of which have been recorded from the Kingdom before. Two species of resident wild swifts were examined for chewing lice for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Two rare lice species were identified: D. (Dennyus) hirundinis (Linnaeus, 1761) and Dennyus sp. (Phthiraptera: Amblycera: Menoponidae) infesting the common swift Apus apus (Linnaeus, 1758) and African palm swift Cypsiurus parvus (Lichtenstein, 1823), respectively. The described chewing lice species are considered as new country records. They will be added to the Saudi Arabia parasitic fauna. Taxonomical and ecological remarks were provided for the identified chewing lice through this work, along with notes on swift/chewing lice interaction.