Molecular phylogeny and novel host associations of avian chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) from South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oona M. Takano ◽  
Gary Voelker ◽  
Daniel R. Gustafsson ◽  
Jessica E. Light
Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 430
Author(s):  
John P. Pistone ◽  
Jessica E. Light ◽  
Tyler A. Campbell ◽  
Therese A. Catanach ◽  
Gary Voelker

South Texas is a highly variable region encompassing multiple habitat types and harboring a wide diversity of organisms. However, the parasite fauna in this region is poorly known, especially for avian ectoparasites such as lice. To better understand avian louse diversity and host associations in South Texas, we examined a total of 507 birds for chewing lice. Lice were morphologically identified to genus and phylogenetic analysis was performed using one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear (18S rRNA and EF-1α) genes. Of the birds examined, 69 (13.5%) were parasitized by lice resulting in a total of 63 host associations across 45 bird species, 29 of which were previously unrecorded. The predominant taxa encountered during this study included two of the most diverse louse genera, Myrsidea and Brueelia. Molecular analyses revealed 21 distinct genetic lineages, 17 of which are associated with novel host associations and may represent new species. This study represents the first extensive examination of avian louse host associations and relationships in Texas and reveals that there is still much to be learned about ectoparasite diversity in the New World.


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3137 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
FILIP KOUNEK ◽  
OLDRICH SYCHRA ◽  
MIROSLAV CAPEK ◽  
IVAN LITERAK

Four new species of chewing lice of the genus Myrsidea parasitic on members of the avian family Parulidae are described. They and their type hosts are: Myrsidea basileuteri ex Basileuterus rufifrons, M. myiobori ex Myioborus miniatus, M. paleno ex Parkesia motacilla and M. zeledoni ex Phaeothlypis fulvicauda. Records of undescribed Myrsidea representing new louse-host associations for Basileuterus tristriatus and Parula pitiayumi are also discussed.


Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1751 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. GATES ◽  
G. DELVARE

Eurytoma erythrinae Gates and Delvare, new species, is described and illustrated. This species was reared from fieldcollected galls on Erythrina spp. (Fabaceae) induced by Quadrastichus spp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), in Tanzania, Ghana, and South Africa. It is compared with very similar African species, Eurytoma radicicola Risbec. Afrotropical species classified in Eurytoma are reviewed and twenty-seven new combinations are proposed: Aximopsis acaciacola (Hedqvist) comb. n., A. caryedocida (Rasplus) comb. n., A. lamtoensis (Rasplus) comb. n., A. mateui (Hedqvist) comb. n., A. mimosarum (Rasplus) comb. n., A. obocki (Risbec) comb. n., A. oryzivora (Delvare) comb. n., A. saharensis (Hedqvist) comb. n., A. senegalensis (Risbec) comb. n., A. tropicana (Risbec) comb. n., Bruchophagus conapionis (Rasplus) comb. n., Fronsoma ellenbergeri (Risbec) comb. n., Gibsonoma amborasahae (Risbec) comb. n., G. aphloiae (Risbec) comb. n., G. bararakae (Risbec) comb. n., G. eugeniae (Risbec) comb. n., G. mandrakae (Risbec) comb. n., G. pauliani (Risbec) comb. n., G. plectroniae (Risbec) comb. n., G. tavolae (Risbec) comb. n., Philolema arachnovora (Hesse) comb. n., P. arnoldi (Waterston) comb. n., P. bambeyi (Risbec) comb. n., P. braconidis (Ferrière) comb. n., and P. syleptae (Ferri_re) comb. n., Phylloxeroxenus cressoni (Howard) comb. n., and Sycophila plectroniae (Risbec) comb. n. Lectotypes are designated for ten species: Eurytoma perineti Risbec, E. radicicola Risbec, E. toddaliae Risbec, Gibsonoma amborasahae (Risbec), G. aphloiae (Risbec), G. eugeniae (Risbec), G. mandrakae (Risbec), G. pauliani (Risbec), G. tavolae (Risbec), and P. bambeyi (Risbec). We also provide a checklist of Afrotropical species that are or were classified in Eurytoma and tabulate the known host/associations of these species with references.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4312 (3) ◽  
pp. 449 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW P. HEINICKE ◽  
DILARA TURK ◽  
AARON M. BAUER

The gekkonid genus Goggia includes eight described species of mostly small-bodied rock dwelling gecko endemic to the southwestern portion of southern Africa, in South Africa and extreme southern Namibia. Previous studies focused on Goggia have employed external morphology and allozyme electrophoresis, but no sequence-based molecular phylogeny of the group has been produced. We have generated a molecular phylogeny of Goggia including all named species and multiple individuals within each species, using sequences of the mitochondrial gene ND2 and nuclear genes RAG1 and PDC. The phylogeny depicts a basal divergence between eastern and western species of small-bodied Goggia, with additional divergences also showing structure strongly correlated with geography. Goggia lineata and G. rupicola are shown to be non-monophyletic, and examination of external morphology supports the distinctiveness of these lineages. We describe two new species to accommodate the southern lineages of “G. lineata” and “G. rupicola”: Goggia incognita sp. nov. and Goggia matzikamaensis sp. nov. Both new species are separated from their northern relatives by geographic barriers: the Knersvlakte plain for G. incognita sp. nov. and G. lineata, and the high Kamiesberg mountains for G. matzikamaensis sp. nov. and G. rupicola. The possible roles of geography, ecology, and climate in promoting diversification within Goggia are discussed. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oona M. Takano ◽  
Preston S. Mitchell ◽  
Daniel R. Gustafsson ◽  
Alphonse Adite ◽  
Gary Voelker ◽  
...  

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