Chewing Louse Species (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) on Roadkill Wild Birds in Van Province: Five New Species in Turkey

Background: The present study was conducted to identify the lice species in birds that were struck and injured or killed by motor vehicles along the highway surrounding Lake Van, which is located between Van and Bitlis provinces in Turkey.

Methods: The bird feathers were inspected using a macroscope. The isolated lice were placed in tubes containing 70% alcohol and were made translucent by 10% KOH. They were then glued using Canadian balsam and identified under light microscopy.

Result: Of the 102 birds collected, 40 (40.8%) birds were infested with at least one louse species. In infested birds, 14 individual lice from 11 species were identified. Of these, Coloceras damicorne (Nitzsch, 1866), Columbicola claviformis (Denny, 1842), Ricinus serratus (Uchida, 1926), Philopterus coarctatus (Scopoli, 1763), Upupicola upupae (Schrank, 1803) were identified in birds for the first time in Turkey.