@article {95388, title = {Explosive Increase in Ectoparasites in Hawaiian Forest Birds}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {94}, year = {2008}, month = {10-2008}, pages = {1009 - 1021}, abstract = {

Ectoparasites, particularly chewing lice in the Phthiraptera (Insecta), affect the ecology of numerous host species. Most lice are highly host-specific, and there are no documented cases of major increases of chewing lice, within populations, over years. During continuous study from 1987\–2005 at upper elevation forests on the island of Hawaii, chewing lice were exceedingly rare and, until 2003, were found in just 2 of 12 species of native and introduced birds. From 2003\–2005, there was an explosive increase in the prevalence of chewing lice in all host species. There was no change in humidity, or in behavior of hosts, that could have caused an ecological release of existing lice. Based on reduced fat levels and increases in broken wing and tail feathers for most host species, there was apparently a food limitation that preceded the increase. The increase coincided temporally with detection of a nonnative bird that had recently been found in elevations below the study sites. Although there were isolated sightings of this bird on the study sites, seasonal movements and behavior of some species of native birds could also have allowed greater transmission to study sites. Both prevalence and intensity of infection, indexed by number of body regions parasitized, were lower in native species with greater bill overlap, a character that could help birds control lice. Seasonality of prevalence indicated that low prevalence preceded molt and high prevalence occurred after molting of hosts. The number of major fault bars in wing and tail feathers, a sign of nutritive stress, was correlated with intensity of infection, indicating an indirect cost to the hosts of being parasitized. In addition, birds with lice were less likely to be recaptured than birds without lice.

}, issn = {0022-3395}, doi = {10.1645/GE-1378.1}, url = {http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1645/GE-1378.1}, author = {Leonard A. Freed and Matthew C. Medeiros and Gustav R. Bodner} } @article {94820, title = {Patterns of Parasite Abundance and Distribution in Island Populations of Gal{\'a}pagos Endemic Birds}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {94}, year = {2008}, month = {06-2008}, pages = {584 - 590}, abstract = {

Parasite life-history characteristics, the environment, and host defenses determine variation in parasite population parameters across space and time. Parasite abundance and distribution have received little attention despite their pervasive effects on host populations and community dynamics. We used analyses of variance to estimate the variability of intensity, prevalence, and abundance of 4 species of lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) infecting Gala ́pagos doves and Gala ́pagos hawks and 1 haemosporidian parasite (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) infecting the doves across island populations throughout their entire geographic ranges. Population parameters of parasites with direct life cycles varied less within than among parasite species, and intensity and abundance did not differ significantly across islands. Prevalence explained a proportion of the variance (34\%), similar to infection intensity (33\%) and parasite abundance (37\%). We detected a strong parasite species-by-island interaction, suggesting that parasite population dynamics is independent among islands. Prevalence (up to 100\%) and infection intensity (parasitemias up to 12.7\%) of Haemoproteus sp. parasites varied little across island populations.

}, issn = {0022-3395}, doi = {10.1645/GE-1351.1}, url = {http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1645/GE-1351.1}, author = {Santiago-Alarcon,Diego and Whiteman,Noah Kerness and Patricia G. Parker and Ricklefs,Robert E. and Valkiunas,G.} } @article {94784, title = {Geographic Distributions and Origins of Human Head Lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) Based on Mitochondrial Data}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {94}, year = {2008}, month = {12-2008}, pages = {1275 - 1281}, abstract = {

Human head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are subdivided into 3 deeply divergent mitochondrial clades (Clades A, B, and C), each having unique geographical distributions. Determining the evolutionary history and geographic distribution of these mitochondrial clades can elucidate the evolutionary history of the lice as well as their human hosts. Previous data suggest that lice belonging to mitochondrial Clade B may have originated in North America or Asia; however, geographic sampling and sample sizes have been limited. With newly collected lice, we calculate the relative frequency, geographic distribution, and genetic diversity of louse mitochondrial clades to determine the geographic origin of lice belonging to Clade B. In agreement with previous studies, genetic diversity data support a North American origin of Clade B lice. It is likely that lice belonging to this mitochondrial clade recently migrated to other geographic localities, e.g., Europe and Australia, and, if not already present, may disperse further to occupy all geographic regions.

}, issn = {0022-3395}, doi = {10.1645/GE-1618.1}, url = {http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1645/GE-1618.1}, author = {Jessica E. Light and Julie M. Allen and Lauren M. Long and Tamar E. Carter and Lisa Barrow and Ganbold Suren and Didier Raoult and David L. Reed} } @article {48371, title = {Acceptance of the 2008 Henry Baldwin ward medal: Balancing the tripod}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {94}, year = {2008}, month = {2008}, pages = {1195 - 1199}, url = {http://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/47516.pdf}, author = {Clayton,Dale H.} } @article {48370, title = {Introduction of Dale Clayton as the Henry Baldwin Ward medalist for 2008}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {94}, year = {2008}, month = {2008}, pages = {1193 - 1194}, url = {http://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/47515.pdf}, author = {Lance A. Durden} } @article {48303, title = {The Feather Holes on the Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica and Other Small Passerines are Probably Caused by Brueelia Spp. Lice}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {94}, year = {2008}, month = {2008}, pages = {1438 - 1440}, abstract = {

Barn swallows Hirundo rustica often have characteristic feather holes on wing and tail feathers. During the past 15 yr, several influential papers have been based on the assumption that these holes were chewed by the louse Machaerilaemus malleus. We gathered feather-hole data from barn swallows and other passerines at 2 sites in Hungary and correlated the presence of holes with louse infestations and, more specifically, with the occurrence of M. malleus versus other species of avian lice. The shape of frequency distribution of holes was left biased, and this bias was more pronounced in large swallow colonies that in a random sample, in accordance with the view that the causative agent of the \‘feather hole symptom\’ is a contagious macroparasite. However, both intra- and interspecific comparisons suggest that the causative agent of the symptom had probably been misidentified. The occurrence of Brueelia spp. \‘wing lice\’ provides the best fit to the distribution and abundance of feather holes, both in barn swallows and across some other small passerines. This identification error does not challenge the results of the former evolutionary\–ecological studies based on this model system, although it has important implications fromthe viewpoint of louse biology.

}, url = {http://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/47447.pdf}, author = {Zolt{\'a}n Vas and Cs{\"o}rg{\H o},Tibor and Anders Pape M{\o}ller and Lajos R{\'o}zsa} } @article {48200, title = {Metazoan Parasites of Lesser Yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes (Charadriiformes) From Southwestern United States and Alaska with a Checklist of Parasites Reported From This Host}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {94}, year = {2008}, month = {2008}, pages = {548 - 551}, abstract = {

In total, 30 lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes (Charadriiformes), 24 from southwestern United States and 6 from Alaska, were examined for metazoan parasites. Ten species of helminths (4 cestodes, 4 trematodes, and 2 nematodes), and 5 species of ectoparasites were collected. Cestodes were the most prevalent and abundant taxon. The dominant cestode was an undescribed species of Choanotaenia. The cestode Kowalewskiella totani was the only helminth recovered from Alaskan hosts, and it was also present in birds from the southwest. It appears to be a specialist in lesser yellowlegs. The mallophagans Quadraceps falcigerus and Actornithophilus totani and the nasal mite Colinoptes cubanensis were common to birds from both geographic regions. Characteristics of the helminth community from the southwest and ectoparasite communities of this region and Alaska were low mean species richness, low mean abundance, medium diversity, and uneven distribution of parasites.

}, url = {http://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/47342.pdf}, author = {Enz,John J. and Albert G. Canaris} }