Circulatory System of Columbicola columbae Linnaeus (Phthiraptera: Insecta: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) Infesting Blue Rock Pigeon (Columba livia Gmelin)

Abstract

Circulatory system of pigeon slender louse, Columbicola columbae (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) has been studied in greater details. In arthropodan insects, the circulatory system is typically open, with just one closed artery. The heart of C. columbae is a straightforward, elongated, and single-chambered organ. At its anterior, middle, and basal regions, it has three pairs of laterally positioned minute ostia. From the body wall to the heart, six sets of alariform muscles—three on the left and three on the right—extend in a fan-like pattern.