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Arthropods (Acarina, Coleoptera, Siphonaptera) in nests of hoopoe (Upupa epops) in Central Europe

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Abstract

In 1993–1995 and 2009–2011, during investigation of reproduction biology of hoopoe, 63 nests of this species were collected after fledging of the chicks in Slovakia and Austria and their arthropod fauna was analyzed. Altogether 5,481 individuals and 34 species of mesostigmatic mites were found in 82.5% of the nests examined. The nidicolous mite Androlaelaps casalis was most abundant and frequent, representing 91.7% of all individuals. The richest in species were saprophilous mites (64.7% of all recorded species), while ectoparasites of the genera Dermanyssus and Ornithonyssus represented only 0.4% of all mites. Only 8 beetle species represented by 65 individuals were found in 18 nests. The dominant trophical group were carnivores (mainly nidicolous Gnathoncus buyssoni) with almost identical representation in (86.2%), followed by a similar representation of necrophags (10.8%). Unlike nests of other birds, the typical nidicolous species Haploglossa puncticollis and the fungivors were absent due to the dry character of studied countryside and placement of the nests in boxes situated in vineyard cottages. Only one species of fleas, Ceratophyllus gallinae — parasitizing first of all in the passeriform birds and being particularly abundant in the cavity nesting birds was recorded in hoopoe nests.

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  1. Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-84506, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Ján Krištofík, Peter Mašán, Zbyšek Šustek & Soňa Nuhličková

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  1. Ján Krištofík
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Krištofík, J., Mašán, P., Šustek, Z. et al. Arthropods (Acarina, Coleoptera, Siphonaptera) in nests of hoopoe (Upupa epops) in Central Europe. Biologia 68, 155–161 (2013). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-012-0135-5

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