Ectoparasitological and ornithological findings from Western Sumatra with description of two new species of chewing lice (Insecta, Phthiraptera)

The results of the ornithological-entomological excursion undertaken together with Fritz SchuLze from February 12 to 26, 2003 at the Man-injau Crater Lake in West Sumatra are reported. A special focus was on  ectoparasitological  studies  on  birds  with  special  consideration  of their chewing lice (Insecta, Phthiraptera). 94 individuals from 31 bird species were captured, morphologically patterned and checked for ectoparasite infestation without the use of chemicals. Field observations on  a  further  18  bird  species  are  reported  and  commented. Prinia  superciliaris dysancrita, which is endemic to Sumatra, deserves special taxonomic attention in the future, since the examined individuals are more like P. superciliaris waterstradti (endemic to the Thai-Malay pe-ninsula). Two  new  insect  species  are  described: Ricinus  fritzschulzei sp. n. (Phthiraptera, Amblycera, Ricinidae) ex Trichostoma buettikoferi Vorderman  (endemic  to  Sumatra)  and Sturnidoecus  mainjaus sp. n.  (Phthiraptera,  Ischnocera,  Philopteridae  s.  l.)  ex Ploceus  philippinus  infortunatus  E. hartert.  The  morphological  aspects  of Ricinus de  geer  are  critically  examined. Type  host  of Brueelia  sexmaculata (Piaget,  1880)]  and  of Philopterus  trabeculus  (Piaget,  1880)]  is Dicrurus paradiseus platurus VieiLLot, 1817. “Goniodes argus eichLer, 1947” ex Argusianus argus (L.) is an absolute synonym of Goniodes curvicornis nitzSch  in giebeL,  1874. The  article  sees  itself  as  a  new prelude to a closer look at the so far little researched animal lice fauna of Sumatra