Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) on Several Species of Wild Birds Around the Lake Van Basin, Van, Eastern Turkey

Abstract

This study was performed to detect chewing lice on the wild birds in Eastern Turkey, between April 2013-September 2014. 108 injured birds brought to Wild Animal Protection Center of Yuzuncu Yil University were examined for louse. The feathers of each bird specimens were inspected for louse, macroscopically. Collected lice samples on the birds were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol and mounted on slides in Canada balsam after transparented in 10% KOH. Fifteen (14.95%) out of the 108 were found to be infested with at least one chewing louse species. Nineteen lice species in 15 genera were found on the infested birds. Goniocotes megalocephalus (Uchida, 1916) on the Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris); Actornithophilus piceus lari (Packard, 1870) on the Armenian Gull (Larus armenicus); Kurodaia fulvofasciata (Piaget, 1880) on the Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus); Laemobothrion sp. on the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos); Trinoton anserinum (Fabricius [J.C.], 1805) and Holomenopon sp. on the Greylag Goose (Anser anser) were recorded for the first time from Turkey in this study.