Chewing Lice (Insecta, Phthiraptera) of White Stork (Ciconia ciconia L.) in Poland

Typical parasitofauna of the White Stork includes four species that have already been reported in Poland but were known from a few records in central and southern part of the country. In this study an individual of the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia L.) that was found in Pomerania in 2005 was examined for ectoparasites. 253 specimens of lice of two species: Colpocephalum zebra (237) and Neophilopterus incompletus (16) were recorded; sex-ratio in the lice infracommunity was approximately 1:1, while the ratio of imagines to juvenile stages was ca. 5:1. Parasites showed clear host site preference – most specimens (91 %) of C. zebra were found on the wings; while N. incompletus and the rest of C. zebra were observed on other parts of the body (neck, breast, flanks, back). This study is a first record of such high number of lice observed on the White Stork in Poland.