Contributions to the knowledge of lice diversity (Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) in birds from Peru

Abstract

Peru has a great diversity of birds, having more than 1870 species in its territory. However, studies on chewing lice (Phthiraptera) in birds from Peru are still limited. The objective of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of the diversity of lice in birds of Peru. The material used comes from the Zoological Collection of the Natural History Museum of the Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, Lima, Peru. Ten species of lice distributed in three families were identified: three species of the Menoponidae family, five species of Philopteridae and two species of Ricinidae collected from seven species of birds. This work records for the first time Hohorstiella lata Piaget, 1880, Quadraceps eugrammicus (Burmeister, 1838), Trochiloecetes illumani Carriker, 1960 and Ricinus frenatus Burmeister, 1838 in Peru; likewise, four new hosts of the order Passeriformes are registered for Mayriphilopterus ernsti Mey, 2004, Threnetes leucurus (Linnaeus, 1766) as a new host for T. illumani and two new hosts for R. frenatus; Larus belcheri Vigors, 1829 is also reported as a new host for Quadraceps eugrammicus (Burmeister, 1838) and Austromenopon transversum Denny, 1842.