@article {96609, title = {New species and new records of Brueelia K{\'e}ler, 1936 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) from South Africa}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {5446}, year = {2024}, month = {Apr-29-2024}, pages = {88-104}, abstract = {

Three species of the genus Brueelia K\éler, 1936 are reported from South Africa for the first time: Brueelia cyclothorax (Burmeister, 1838) ex Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758), Brueelia queleae Sychra \& Barlev [in Sychra et al.], 2010a ex Quelea quelea lathami (Smith, 1836), and Brueelia coryliventer Gustafsson \& Bush, 2015, ex Creatophora cinerea (Meuschen, 1787). In addition, two new species of Brueelia are described from South African ploceids: Brueelia oschadlei n. sp. ex Ploceus capensis (Linnaeus, 1766), and Brueelia inusta n. sp. ex Ploceus velatus tahatali Smith, 1836. Also, we discuss the \“African pied Brueelia\” species-group\—to which the two new species belong\—in particular the variation in pigmentation patterns on the subgenital plates of both sexes.

}, keywords = {African pied Brueelia, Brueelia coryliventer, Brueelia inusta n. sp, Brueelia oschadlei n. sp, Brueelia-complex, New records, new species, Ploceus velatus tahatali, South Africa}, issn = {1175-5334, 1175-5326}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.5446.1.5}, url = {https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5446.1.5}, author = {Daniel R Gustafsson and Grossi, Alexandra A. and Ali Halajian and Engelbrecht, Derek} } @article {96427, title = {Co-phylogeny of a hyper-symbiotic system: Endosymbiotic bacteria (Gammaproteobacteria), chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) and birds (Passeriformes)}, journal = {Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution}, volume = {190}, year = {2024}, month = {Jan-01-2024}, abstract = {

Chewing lice are hosts to endosymbiotic bacteria as well as themselves being permanent parasites. This offers a unique opportunity to examine the cophylogenetic relationships between three ecologically interconnected organismal groups: birds, chewing lice, and bacteria. Here, we examine the cophylogenetic relationships between lice in the genus Guimaraesiella Eichler, 1949, their endosymbiotic Sodalis-allied bacteria, and a range of bird species from across South China. Both event and distance-based cophylogenetic analyses were explored to compare phylogenies of the three organismal groups. Pair-wise comparisons between lice-endosymbionts and bird-endosymbionts indicated that their evolutionary histories are not independent. However, comparisons between lice and birds, showed mixed results; the distance-based method of ParaFit indicated that their evolutionary histories are not independent, while the event-based method of Jane indicated that their phylogenies were no more congruent than expected by chance. Notably, louse host-switching does not seem to have affected bacterial strains, as conspecific lice sampled from distantly related hosts share bacteria belonging to the same clade.

}, issn = {1055-7903}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107957}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790323002579}, author = {Grossi, Alexandra A. and Chunpo Tian and Mengjiao Ren and Fasheng Zou and Daniel R Gustafsson} } @article {96212, title = {The Goniodidae (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) of peafowl (Aves: Galliformes: Pavo), with description of a new genus}, journal = {Journal of Natural History}, volume = {57}, year = {2023}, month = {July-2023}, pages = {996-1048}, abstract = {

Five species of goniodid lice are known from Asian peafowls of the genus Pavo Linnaeus, 1758: Goniodes pavonis (Linnaeus, 1758), the type species of Goniodes Nitzsch, 1818; Goniodes meinertzhageni Clay, 1940; Goniocotes rectangulatus Nitzsch [in Giebel] 1866; Goniocotes parviceps (Piaget, 1880); Goniocotes mayuri Lakshminarayana and Emerson, 1971. We here discuss the identity and relationships of these five species, including the population of G. parviceps on the green peafowl, Pavo muticus Linnaeus, 1766. All five species are redescribed and illustrated in full. A new genus is erected for G. parviceps and G. mayuri: Pavoniocotes gen. nov. A key to the goniodid lice of Asian peafowls is provided.

}, keywords = {Chewing lice, new genus, Pavoniocotes gen. nov., Pavoniocotes mayuri, Pavoniocotes parviceps, peafowl}, issn = {0022-2933, 1464-5262}, doi = {10.1080/00222933.2023.2226375}, url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00222933.2023.2226375}, author = {Daniel R Gustafsson and Grossi, Alexandra A. and Mengjiao Ren and Fasheng Zou} } @article {96094, title = {Coevolutionary analysis of the Philopteroides Mey, 2004 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) parasitizing bulbuls (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae)}, journal = {Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {Mar-24-2023}, pages = {16 pp}, abstract = {

IntroductionAvian head lice comprise a diverse group of distantly related genera of lice that exhibit a strongly convergent morphology. Due to their lack of free-living stages, their strong morphological adaptations to living on the host\’s head, and the limited opportunities for transfer between hosts during mating or nesting, the lateral transmission of head lice between non-conspecific hosts may be presumed to be restricted. Despite this, many species of head lice are ostensibly host generalists. We here examine lice of the head louse genus Philopteroides Mey, 2004, from bulbuls (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae).

MethodsWe use two different methods, ParaFit and Jane, to get insights on the co-evolutionary history of Philopteroides species and their bulbul hosts. Jane was run with a variation of event costs.

ResultsOur phylogenetic analysis indicate that several morphologically cryptic species can be found in this group, most of which appear to be host specific. However, co-phylogenetic analyses indicate that host-switching has been common in the history of these lice, and co-speciation events have been rarer than expected. Moreover, lowest-cost co-evolutionary reconstructions under a variety of event costs are indistinguishable from random. An expanded dataset with more Philopterus-complex lice was found to be evenly balanced between host-switching and co-speciation events.

DiscussionThe transfer of avian head lice between host species is poorly understood, but evidently fairly common. Several potential routes are discussed, but direct evidence is missing. Potentially, the presence of multiple bulbul species at fruiting trees may be an important factor in this transfer. However, such transfer routes also do not explain why Philopteroides lice on bulbuls appear to be distinct from those of other hosts. Moreover, as many of the species recovered in our analysis are morphologically indistinguishable, cryptic speciation appears to be common in this group.

}, keywords = {bulbuls, coevolution, host-switching, Philopteroides, Philopterus-complex}, issn = {2296-701X}, doi = {10.3389/fevo.2023.1053820}, url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1053820/full}, author = {Mengjiao Ren and Daniel R Gustafsson and Chunpo Tian and Grossi, Alexandra A. and Zhixiao Liu and Fasheng Zou} } @article {96016, title = {Host Migration and Size Do Not Influence the Prevalence of Most Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) on Shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes) across the World}, journal = {Diversity}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {Feb-01-2023}, pages = {19 pp}, abstract = {

Patterns of prevalence in chewing lice (Phthiraptera) on wild birds are poorly known, as are the underlying factors that influence these patterns. Here, we analyze a data set consisting of published prevalence data of lice on shorebirds, as well as new prevalence data from shorebirds examined in Australia, Canada, China, Japan, and Sweden between 2007 and 2020. In total, prevalence data from 10 genera of lice from over 110 host species were included, including all major families of shorebirds. Using a generalized linear mixed model, we examine how the prevalence of lice of different genera varies between different sets of birds, focusing on two factors associated with migration (migration length and migration route). We found that host body size does not influence prevalence of lice in the Charadriiformes for any of the four most common and widely distributed louse genera (Actornithophilus, Austromenopon, Quadraceps, and Saemundssonia). Moreover, neither of the two migration variables showed any statistically significant correlations with prevalence, except for the genus Saemundssonia in which the prevalence of lice on short-distance migrants was significantly higher than on intermediate- and long-distance migrants. We also present 15 new records of chewing lice for China and 12 for Australia.

}, keywords = {index of specificity, Migration, New records, Pedionomidae, Pluvianellidae, Pluvianidae, Prevalence}, issn = {1424-2818}, doi = {10.3390/d15020200}, url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/2/200}, author = {Grossi, Alexandra A. and Myung-Bok Lee and Chunpo Tian and Fasheng Zou and Chi-Yeung Choi and Daniel R Gustafsson} } @article {95761, title = {Spatial distribution of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae, Philopteridae) infesting Canada geese and mallards (Aves: Anatidae), in Manitoba, Canada}, journal = {The Canadian Entomologist }, volume = {154}, year = {2022}, month = {Aug-2022}, pages = {11 pp}, abstract = {

Canada geese, Branta canadensis (Linnaeus) (Anseriformes: Anatidae), and mallards, Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus (Anseriformes: Anatidae), are infested by several species of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae, Philopteridae). We examined the spatial distribution of lice upon these hosts. Hosts were dissected into five body regions: head and neck, wings, back, underside, and tail. Canada geese (n = 20) were infested with six species of lice. Anaticola anseris (Linnaeus) (n = 423) and Anatoecus spp. (n = 510) were restricted to the wings and head, respectively, whereas Ornithobius goniopleurus Denny (n = 1919) and Ciconiphilus pectiniventris (Harrison) (n = 757) were spread over multiple body regions. Trinoton anserinum (Fabricius) (n = 2) was present in insufficient numbers to reach conclusions about its distribution. Mallards (n = 8) were infested with four species of lice. Anaticola crassicornis (Scopoli) (n = 121) and Anatoecus dentatus (Scopoli) (n = 244) were restricted to the wings and head, respectively. Holomenopon maxbeieri Eichler (n = 52) infested multiple body regions, and Trinoton querquedulae (Linnaeus) (n = 27) were found mainly on the wings. Chewing lice infesting mallards and Canada geese partition their hosts in accordance with their own morphological and ecological requirements.

}, issn = {0008-347X, 1918-3240}, doi = {10.4039/tce.2022.27}, url = {https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-entomologist/article/abs/spatial-distribution-of-chewing-lice-phthiraptera-menoponidae-philopteridae-infesting-canada-geese-and-mallards-aves-anatidae-in-manitoba-canada/C80350D8EC921F6918233E3534940D6E}, author = {Grossi, Alexandra A. and Terry D. Galloway} } @article {95277, title = {Variation in Ectosymbiont Assemblages Associated with Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) from Coast to Coast in Canada}, journal = {Diversity}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {Jan-01-2021}, pages = {9}, type = {18 pp}, abstract = {

When a species colonizes a new area, it has the potential to bring with it an array of smaller-bodied symbionts. Rock Pigeons (Columba livia Gmelin) have colonized most of Canada and are found in almost every urban center. In its native range, C. livia hosts more than a dozen species of ectosymbiotic arthropods, and some of these lice and mites have been reported from Rock Pigeons in the United States. Despite being so abundant and widely distributed, there are only scattered host-symbiont records for rock pigeons in Canada. Here we sample Rock Pigeons from seven locations across Canada from the west to east (a distance of \> 4000 km) to increase our knowledge of the distribution of their ectosymbionts. Additionally, because ectosymbiont abundance can be affected by temperature and humidity, we looked at meteorological variables for each location to assess whether they were correlated with ectosymbiont assemblage structure. We found eight species of mites associated with different parts of the host\’s integument: the feather dwelling mites Falculifer rostratus (Buchholz), Pterophagus columbae (Sugimoto) and Diplaegidia columbae (Buchholz); the skin mites: Harpyrhynchoides gallowayi Bochkov, OConnor and Klompen, H. columbae (Fain), and Ornithocheyletia hallae Smiley; and the nasal mites Tinaminyssus melloi (Castro) and T. columbae (Crossley). We also found five species of lice: Columbicola columbae (Linnaeus), Campanulotes compar (Burmeister), Coloceras tovornikae Tendeiro, Hohorstiella lata Piaget, and Bonomiella columbae Emerson. All 13 ectosymbiont species were found in the two coastal locations of Vancouver (British Columbia) and Halifax (Nova Scotia). The symbiont species found in all sampling locations were the mites O. hallae, H. gallowayi, T. melloi and T. columbae, and the lice Colu. columbae and Camp. compar. Three local meteorological variables were significantly correlated with mite assemblage structure: annual minimum and maximum temperatures and maximum humidity in the month the pigeon was collected. Two local meteorological variables, annual maximum and average temperatures, were significantly correlated with louse assemblages. Our results suggest that milder climatic conditions may affect richness and assemblage structure of ectosymbiont assemblages associated with Rock Pigeons in Canada

}, keywords = {feather mite, lice, nasal mite, Rock Pigeon, skin mite}, doi = {10.3390/d13010009}, url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/1/9}, author = {Grossi, Alexandra A. and Heather C. Proctor} } @mastersthesis {95235, title = {Bird-associated permanent ectosymbionts examined at coarse and fine scales}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2020}, school = {Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta}, type = {Doctor of Philosophy in Systematics and Evolution}, address = {Alberta}, abstract = {

All multicellular organisms host one or more species of symbiont. Endosymbionts of homeotherms experience relatively constant environments whereas those of ectotherms and all ectosymbionts experience variation in external environment. For ectosymbionts, both the presence of a host and a compatible external environment are necessary. Permanent symbionts (those with no off-host stages) are typically transferred from parent to offspring or via close contact between host individuals. There has long been an expectation that permanent symbionts should show patterns of genetic diversification similar to the host\’s. Using the host/symbiont systems of Rock Pigeons (Columbidae: Columba livia Gmelin) and Ovenbirds (Parulidae: Seiurus aurocapilla [Linnaeus]) and their permanent ectosymbionts (lice and mites), I investigated factors that influence ectosymbiont assemblage and population structure at both broad and fine scales. To determine diversity of ectosymbionts that infest Rock Pigeons in Canada and whether there are geographic patterns in assemblages (Chapter 2), I sampled pigeons from: Vancouver BC, Calgary AB, Edmonton AB, Saskatoon SK, Winnipeg MB, Southern Ontario, and Halifax NS. I found 13 species of ectosymbionts: three of feather-dwelling mites, three skin mites, two nasal mites, and five feather lice. Only Vancouver and Halifax had all 13 ectosymbiont species, and only five species were found in every sampling location. I statistically assessed relationships between the local environment and the mite and louse assemblages. Annual precipitation, minimum humidity and maximum humidity of the month the pigeon was euthanized explained 10.6\% of the variation in mite assemblages; annual maximum temperature, annual minimum humidity, and minimum temperature, and precipitation in the month before the pigeon was euthanized explained 10.7\% of the variation in louse assemblages. Based on their more restricted distributions, I conclude that feather mites are more strongly affected by local environment than other ectosymbiont groups, and that humid coastal environments are suitable for more ectosymbiont species than dry continental regions. Rock Pigeons are non-migratory and are usually restricted to urban centres, suggesting that they should show strong genetic structure, which should be mirrored by their permanent ectosymbionts. In Chapter 3, I assess population structure of Rock Pigeons across Canada together with that of two of their louse species, Columbicola columbae (Linnaeus) and Campanulotes compar (Burmeister). ddRAD sequencing was used for pigeons and mtCOI for lice. Based on \ΔK values and DAPC there were three genetic clusters for pigeons: one for Halifax, one for Vancouver and one that included all other sampling locations. The two louse species had different haplotype networks and the genetic structure of C. compar more closely resembled that of its host, matching predictions based on previous studies of its vagility relative to C. columbae. Rock Pigeons may be less sedentary than typically thought, or continuing introductions of Rock Pigeons are obscuring the signal of local differentiation of both bird and symbionts in most Canadian locations. In Chapter 4, I move from broad- to fine-scale distribution of symbionts on hosts. Infestation parameters of quill mites (Syringophilidae) are rarely examined because this requires dissection of quills. These mites use their long chelicerae to pierce the quill wall to feed on living tissue, and reproduce only inside the quill; therefore, quill wall thickness and quill volume could influence their colonization success. I assessed the distribution of the quill mite Betasyringophiloidus seiuri (Clark) from Ovenbirds from Canada to determine if specific feathers have higher mite prevalences or intensities, and if quill-wall thickness and quill volume vary with either of these infestation parameters. I examined the flight feathers of 21 dead ovenbirds, nine of which proved to be infested with quill mites. Feathers with the highest prevalence were Primaries 1 and 2, and Secondaries 1, 2, and 5. There was a strong positive correlation between quill volume and mean mite intensity. Feathers with quill walls thicker in some areas than the mites\’ extended chelicerae had lower prevalences than feathers with walls consistently thinner than the length of the chelicerae. In summary, I found that aspects of both the ectosymbionts\’ immediate habitat, the host, and the habitat of the host can potentially influence their broad- and fine-scale distribution and assemblage structure. However, much of the variation in my results was not explained by the parameters I examined; I recommend manipulative experiments in order to resolve some of the remaining mysteries.

}, keywords = {Betaysringophiloidus seiuri, lice, mites, Ovenbird, Rock Pigeon, Syringophilidae}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-bfe3-fr10}, url = {https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/ec589692-1dd5-4b15-8fcb-c91b5277c536}, author = {Grossi, Alexandra A.} } @article {68854, title = {Anatoecus species (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from Anseriformes in North America and taxonomic status of Anatoecus dentatus and Anatoecus icterodes}, journal = {The Canadian Entomologist}, volume = {146}, year = {2014}, month = {Jan-12-2014}, pages = {598 - 608}, abstract = {

Anatoecus Cummings (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) is a genus of chewing lice with four species infesting Anseriformes in North America: Anatoecus cygni (Denny), Anatoecus dentatus (Scopoli), Anatoecus icterodes (Nitzsch), and Anatoecus penicillatus K{\'e}ler. Males of A. dentatus and A. icterodes are distinguishable by their genitalia; however, there are no known anatomical characteristics to distinguish females. Anatoecus dentatus and A. icterodes are recorded from at least 55 of the same host species worldwide. The mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I was examined from the four Anatoecus species, specifically to examine the taxonomic status of A. dentatus and A. icterodes. When sequences from these species were analysed using neighbour joining analysis, A. dentatus and A. icterodes were recovered in a well-supported cluster. However, A. dentatus and A. icterodes were mixed within the same cluster. The average interspecific genetic distance of A. dentatus and A. icterodes (0.04\%) was almost the same as the average intraspecific genetic distances of A. dentatus and A. icterodes 0.02\% and 0.05\%, respectively. Therefore, we formally synonymise A. dentatus and A. icterodes as Anatoecus dentatus (new synonymy). In addition two new hosts for A. penicillatus were recorded: Branta canadensis (Linnaeus) (Anseriformes: Anatidae) and Chen caerulescens (Linnaeus) (Anseriformes: Anatidae).

}, issn = {0008-347X}, doi = {10.4039/tce.2014.12}, url = {http://www.journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0008347X14000121}, author = {Grossi, Alexandra A. and Sharanowski, Barbara J. and Terry D. Galloway} }