Chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) from Red Sea gulls with new host-parasite records
Author
Al-Ahmed, Azzam
Author
Shobrak, Mohammed
Author
Nasser, D.
text
Zootaxa
2014
3790
4
567
576
journal article
45939
10.11646/zootaxa.3790.4.5
1e97ce4d-e904-476b-914b-7ceb234d22bb
1175-5326
230438
A4C0CDB1-18FD-47A2-8363-3794B34FBEC0
Austromenopon transversum
(
Denny, 1842
)
(
Figs 3
b, 4b)
Menopon transversum
Denny, 1842
: 201
, 226, pl. 21, fig. 7.
Austromenopon transversum
(
Denny, 1842
)
;
Price
et al
. 2003
: 93
.
Type
host:
Rissa tridactyla
(Linnaeus, 1758)
—Black-legged kittiwake.
Material examined
(n = 47). Ex
Larus argentatus
Pontoppidan, 1763:
5
♂, 11♀, 3N, Jazan Fish Market (
16o54'12''N
,
42o32'40''E
),
24 Nov. 2012
.
Ex
Larus armenicus
Buturlin, 1934:
4
♂, 6♀, 1N, Jazan Fish Market (
16o54'9''N
,
42o32'40''E
),
23 Nov. 2012
.
Ex
Larus michahellis
Naumann, 1840:
4
♂, 7♀, 6N, Jazan Coast (
16o56'22''N
,
42o32'35''E
),
12 Dec. 2013
.
Remarks:
Species of the genus
Austromenopon
are parasitic on members of three bird orders, including
Charadriiformes (
Price
et al.
2003
: 90)
. The best available revision of the species from
Charadriiformes
is by
Clay (1959)
. Specimens of
Austromenopon
are usually found on body feathers and near the host skin.
Austromenopon transversum
(
Figs 3
b, 4b) is the species which parasitizes most species of gulls in different parts of the world (
Price
et al.
2003
: 93). Some of our specimens were found with the abdomen full of host blood. This species is characterized by: a reduction of the epipharyngeal pestle and hypopharyngial sclerites; the marginal prothoracic seta long, which may exceed the thoracic segments; and very long mesothoracic seta. These are the first records of
A. transversum
from the Armenian (
Larus armenicus
) and the yellow-legged gulls (
Larus michahellis
).