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Lice (Phthiraptera, Amblycera, Ischnocera) collected on the birds in the Aras basin in Iğdır Province, Türkiye with new records and new host associations

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgements

A part of this study was presented as an abstract at 22nd Parasitology Congress (October 11-15, 2021, Didim, Aydın, Türkiye) by one (AÇ) of us. We thank the reviewers for their careful reading of the article and their constructive suggestions.

Funding

We are grateful to the Whitley Fund and the Sigrid Rausing Trust for funding the majority of the fieldwork for this project. Field research for specimen collection was also supported by other generous donors to KuzeyDoğa Derneği, including Bilge Bahar, Seha İşmen, Burak Över, Batubay Özkan, Suna Reyent, and Barbara Watkins.

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B.D., A.Ç., Ç.H.Ş., M.A.K. and E.Ç. conceived and designed the study; Ç.H.Ş. obtained the funding for field research and directed the ornithological field work for specimen collection; A.Ç., B.Ç., E.Ç. M.A.K. and Ç.H.Ş. collected the data; B.D., A.Ç. E.Ç. and A.K. processed and prepared data for analysis; B.D., A.Ç. E.Ç. and A.K. analyzed the data; B.D., A.Ç. E.Ç. and A.K. prepared figures; B.D., A.Ç. E.Ç. and A.K. wrote the manuscript; B.D., A.Ç., A.K. and Ç.H.Ş. revised and corrected the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Bilal Dik or Adem Keskin.

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Field ornithological research and bird ringing were conducted with the permission of Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (Permission number: E-21264211–288.04–2480918). Ethical Principles in Animal Research permission was approved by the Kafkas University Animal Ethical Committee (permit number KAÜ-HADYEK/2021–100).

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Dik, B., Çoban, A., Kırpık, M.A. et al. Lice (Phthiraptera, Amblycera, Ischnocera) collected on the birds in the Aras basin in Iğdır Province, Türkiye with new records and new host associations. Parasitol Res 123, 100 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-08113-w

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