Chewing lice (Phthiraptera, Amblycera, Ischnocera) from shorebirds (Aves, Charadriiformes) in the Kızılırmak Delta, Turkey

This study was carried out in the Kızılırmak Delta Cernek Bird Ringing Station, Central Black Sea Region, during August and September 2020, to survey the louse species found on shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes). A total of 241 birds belonging to 13 species were searched for chewing lice. Eleven species in six genera of the family Scolopacidae (Actitis hypoleucos, Arenaria interpres, Calidris alba, Calidris alpina, Calidris falcinellus, Calidris ferruginea, Calidris minuta, Gallinago gallinago, Tringa glareola, Tringa totanus, Xenus cinereus) and two species in one genus of the family Charadriidae (Charadrius dubius, Charadrius hiaticula) were examined. Birds were caught alive with mist-nets, ringed, searched for lice, and released. A total of 153 birds (63.49%) were infested with lice belonging to 16 species, five amblycerans: Actornithophilus bicolor, Actornithophilus ochraceus, Actornithophilus totani, Actornithophilus umbrinus, Austromenopon lutescens, and eleven ischnocerans: Carduiceps fulvofasciatus, Carduiceps meinertzhageni, Carduiceps zonarius, Lunaceps actophilus, Lunaceps falcinellus, Lunaceps schismatus, Quadraceps hiaticulae, Quadraceps obscurus, Quadraceps ravus, Quadraceps strepsilaris and Saemundssonia platygaster frater. These eight species are new records for Turkey: Ac. bicolor, Ac. ochraceus, Ca. fulvofasciatus, Lu. falcinellus, Lu. schismatus, Qu. ravus, Qu. strepsilaris and Sa. platygaster frater. In addition, Qudraceps hiaticulae was recorded from Little ringed plovers (Charadrius dubius)  for the first time in the world in this study. According the lice checklist of wild birds in Turkey, a total of 188 bird species examined and 122 of them were infested, and a total of 217 chewing lice species has been recorded.