Journal of Parasitology最新文献

{"title":"A SIMPLE, QUICK, AND ECONOMICAL METHOD FOR IN VITRO CULTIVATION OF ECHINOCOCCUS MULTILOCULARIS METACESTODE AND GENERATION OF PRIMARY CELLS.","authors":"Cuiying Zhang, Zihua Li, Yong Fu, Tao Li, Siyu Hou, Chan Wang, Ming Li, Wei Zhao","doi":"10.1645/23-100","DOIUrl":"10.1645/23-100","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alveolar echinococcosis is considered to be one of the most potentially lethal parasitic zoonotic diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Echinococcus multilocularis interacts with hosts are poorly understood, hindering the prevention and treatment of this disease. Due to the great advantages of cell culture systems for molecular research, numerous attempts have been made to establish primary cell cultures for E. multilocularis. In this study we developed a simple, rapid, and economical method that allows E. multilocularis metacestode tissue blocks to generate daughter vesicles without the continuous presence of host feeder cells in a regular medium. We performed anaerobic, hypoxic (1% O2), normoxic, and semi-anaerobic (in sealed tubes) cultures and found that E. multilocularis metacestode tissues can produce daughter vesicles only in the sealed tubes after 4 wk of incubation. The daughter vesicles cultivated in this system were remarkably enlarged under anaerobic conditions after 8 days of culture, whereas vesicles cultured under hypoxic (1% O2) and normoxic conditions showed only a mild increase in volume. Our in vitro cultivated vesicles showed strong viability and could be used to test antiparasitic drugs, isolate primary cells, and infect animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 3","pages":"210-217"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141175874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF THE LEECH GENUS PONTOBDELLA (HIRUDINIDA: PISCICOLIDAE) WITH NOTES ON PONTOBDELLA CALIFORNIANA AND PONTOBDELLA MACROTHELA.","authors":"Fernando Ruiz-Escobar, Gerardo Torres-Carrera, Valentina Islas-Villanueva, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa","doi":"10.1645/23-122","DOIUrl":"10.1645/23-122","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leech specimens of the genus Pontobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) were found off the coast of the state of Oaxaca (Pacific) as well as in Veracruz and Tabasco (Gulf of Mexico), Mexico. Based on the specimens collected in Oaxaca, a redescription of Pontobdella californiana is provided, with emphasis on the differences in the reproductive organs with the original description of the species. In addition, leech cocoons assigned to P. californiana were found attached to items hauled by gillnets and studied using scanning electron microscopy and molecular approaches. Samples of Pontobdella macrothela were found in both Pacific and Atlantic oceans, representing new geographic records. The phylogenetic position of P. californiana is investigated for the first time, and with the addition of Mexican samples of both species, the phylogenetic relationships within Pontobdella are reinvestigated. Parsimony and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis were based on mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I [COI] and 12S rRNA) and nuclear (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA) DNA sequences. Based on our results, we confirm the monophyly of Pontobdella and the pantropical distribution of P. macrothela with a new record in the Tropical Eastern Pacific.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 3","pages":"186-194"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140864021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"RAPID POINT-OF-CARE TESTING FOR DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES TO TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN BLACK VULTURES AND RING-BILLED GULLS FROM PENNSYLVANIA.","authors":"Alexa Rosypal von Dohlen, Sydney Randall, Jordyan Grays, Mark A Dugo, Brian J Hunt, Justin Brown, Kyle Van Why, Sawsan Ammar, Richard Gerhold","doi":"10.1645/24-24","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects most warm-blooded animals, including birds. Scavenging birds are epidemiologically important hosts because they can serve as indicators of environmental T. gondii levels. A rapid point-of-care (POC) test that detects antibodies to T. gondii in humans is commercially available. In this research, we assessed the ability of the human POC test to detect anti-T. gondii antibodies in 106 black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and 23 ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) from Pennsylvania, USA. Serum samples were tested with the POC test and compared to the modified agglutination test (MAT) in a blinded study. Overall, anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 2.8% (3/106) of black vultures and 60.9% (14/23) of ring-billed gulls by the POC test. One false-positive POC test occurred in a black vulture that was negative by MAT. False-negative results were obtained in 2 black vultures and 4 ring-billed gulls that had MAT titers of 1:25 or 1:50. The sensitivity and specificity of the POC for both black vultures and ring-billed gulls combined were 95.7% and 95.5%, respectively. This is the first study using human POC tests to detect antibodies to T. gondii in birds. Further study of the rapid test as a screening tool for serological surveillance of T. gondii in birds is warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 3","pages":"206-209"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141157643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PHASMARHABDITIS CALIFORNICA (NEMATODA: RHABDITIDAE) HAS REDUCED ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS AND PROGENY PRODUCTION IN THE PRESENCE OF PRISTIONCHUS ENTOMOPHAGUS (NEMATODA: DIPLOGASTRIDAE).","authors":"D B M Patuwatha Withanage, Lien T Luong","doi":"10.1645/24-5","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phasmarhabditis (syn. Pellioditis) californica is a facultative parasite that has been marketed as a popular biocontrol agent against pestiferous slugs in England, Scotland, and Wales. The necromenic nematode Pristionchus entomophagus has also been recovered from slugs infected with Ph. californica. In this study, we experimentally investigated the outcome of single and mixed applications of Pr. entomophagus and Ph. californica on the slug Deroceras reticulatum (Müller). Host mortality was comparable for single and mixed applications of Ph. californica, with time to death significantly shorter in both treatment groups compared with controls. However, trials with Pr. entomophagus alone did not cause any significant host mortality relative to controls. Compared with the single Ph. californica applications, mixed applications resulted in 67% fewer infective juveniles establishing in the host, and subsequently far fewer infective juveniles were recovered in the next generation. In contrast, the establishment rate and progeny production in Pr. entomophagus were not impacted by the presence of Ph. californica (i.e., mixed applications). Hence, the presence of Pr. entomophagus had a deleterious effect on the establishment success and progeny production of Ph. californica. Our findings reveal an asymmetrical, antagonistic interaction between Ph. californica and Pr. entomophagus and highlight the importance of understanding the ecological relationships between co-occurring species. A decrease in parasite establishment success and progeny production has the potential to directly impact the persistence, sustainability, and efficacy of Ph. californica as a biological control agent.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 3","pages":"200-205"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141157569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A RANGE-WIDE ECTOPARASITE SURVEY FOR ALLEGHENY WOODRATS (NEOTOMA MAGISTER)","authors":"Karen E. Powers, Ralph P. Eckerlin, Robert R. Sheehy, Richard J. Reynolds","doi":"10.1645/23-118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/23-118","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Allegheny woodrats (<em>Neotoma magister</em>) are karst-specializing rodents that are rare or in conservation need in many states within their current range. Parasitism and habitat fragmentation have been suggested as primary reasons for declining populations. The presence, prevalence, and impact of ectoparasites, including fleas, ticks, and bots, is not fully understood rangewide. We collected Allegheny woodrat ectoparasites across 8 states in their range, identifying parasites via morphological and genetic means. Across contributions from 8 states, we discovered 2 woodrat-specific fleas parasitizing Allegheny woodrats: <em>Orchopeas pennsylvanicus</em> (all contributing states, n = 228) and <em>Epitedia cavernicola</em> (Indiana only, n = 9). The former was a new state record in New Jersey and Ohio. Woodrat specialists <em>Ixodes woodi</em> were morphologically identified as the dominant tick species (n = 38), and our contributions to genetic databases may ease confusion in future efforts. Three generalist species of ticks representing 8 individuals were identified as <em>Dermacentor variabilis</em>, <em>Amblyomma americanum</em>, and <em>Ixodes scapularis</em>. Only 2 bot fly species were recognized in Allegheny woodrats: 1 squirrel bot (<em>Cuterebra emasculator</em>) and 10 individuals of <em>Cuterebra</em> sp. not genetically conspecific to any known eastern U.S. rodent bot. The host specificity for fleas is not surprising, given that previous small-scale surveys and ticks primarily appear to be a mix of genus-specific (<em>Ixodes woodi</em>) and generalist species. There remains uncertainty with bots via morphological and genetic analyses. Our survey presents a wide-ranging baseline survey for Allegheny woodrats across their range, emphasizing the diversity (or specificity) of parasite groups for this species. An understanding of Allegheny woodrats and the health impact of ectoparasites is imperative because they face myriad challenges rangewide, especially considering the bot-driven demise of 1 woodrat in our study. Ectoparasites can have a marked impact on already-declining woodrat populations across their range and should not be overlooked in future surveys.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140636845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DESCRIPTION OF FEMALE DENDRITOBILHARZIA PULVERULENTA () FROM TWO NEW AVIAN HOSTS IN NAMIBIA WITH PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSES AND COMMENTS ON SEVERAL TAXONOMICALLY UNCERTAIN AVIAN SCHISTOSOME SEQUENCES","authors":"Haley R. Dutton, Louis H. DuPreez, Edward C. Netherlands, Bernard J. Jordaan, Stephen A. Bullard","doi":"10.1645/23-44","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/23-44","url":null,"abstract":"<p>During a 2021 parasitological survey of birds in the Nyae Nyae-Khaudum Dispersal Area (Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, Namibia), we collected 9 specimens of <em>Dendritobilharzia pulverulenta</em> (Braun, 1901) Skrjabin, 1924 infecting the blood (heart lumen) of a white-backed duck, <em>Thalassornis leuconotus</em> (Eyton, 1838) (Anseriformes: Anatidae), and a fulvous whistling duck, <em>Dendrocygna bicolor</em> (Vieillot, 1816) (Anatidae). These flukes were fixed for morphology and preserved for DNA extraction. We assigned our specimens to <em>Dendritobilharzia</em>Skrjabin and Zakharow, 1920 because they were strongly dorso-ventrally flattened in both sexes and had an intestinal cyclocoel with a zig-zag common cecum with lateral dendritic ramifications, numerous testes posterior to the cyclocoel and flanking the dendritic ramifications, and a tightly compacted convoluted ovary as well as lacking an oral sucker, ventral sucker, and gynaecophoric canal. Further, our specimens were morphologically identical to previously published descriptions of <em>D. pulverulenta</em>. Sequences of the <em>28S</em> from our specimens were nearly identical to those identified as <em>D. pulverulenta</em> from North America (New Mexico), and our <em>28S</em> phylogenetic analysis recovered <em>D. pulverulenta</em> within a polytomy of other Gigantobilharziinae spp. The <em>CO1</em> phylogenetic analysis recovered a monophyletic <em>Dendritobilharzia</em> and, with low taxon sampling, a monophyletic <em>Gigantobilharzia</em>. This is the first record of a species of <em>Dendritobilharzia</em> infecting these ducks as well as the first record of an adult <em>Dendritobilharzia</em> from sub-Saharan Africa. The original description of adult <em>D. pulverulenta</em> (type locality: northern Sudan) was based on 2 males only, and hence the present study is the first description of female <em>D. pulverulenta</em> from Africa (the continent of the type locality). We reassign 2 Gigantobilharziinae spp. based on morphology and nucleotide evidence: <em>Gigantobilharzia ensenadense</em> (Lorenti, Brant, Gilardoni, Diaz, and Cremonte, 2022) Dutton and Bullard, n. comb., and <em>Gigantobilharzia patagonense</em> (Lorenti, Brant, Gilardoni, Diaz, and Cremonte, 2022) Dutton and Bullard, n. comb. We also comment on several avian schistosome sequences whose identities need confirmation or that likely have been misidentified.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140609596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AMBLYOMMA SCUTATUM (ACARI: IXODIDAE) ACCIDENTALLY INTRODUCED IN ITALY","authors":"Annalisa Grisendi, Mattia Calzolari, Francesco Defilippo, Deborah Torri, Katia Marzani, Michele Dottori, Paolo Bonilauri, Giulia Maioli","doi":"10.1645/20-69","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/20-69","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Eight ticks were found in Comacchio (FE), Italy parasitizing a young black iguana (<em>Ctenosaura similis</em>) that had been accidentally transported in a commercial plant container from Costa Rica. Specimens were identified morphologically as <em>Amblyomma scutatum</em> and then confirmed by the barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. <em>Amblyomma scutatum</em> is a common tick known to infest reptiles in Central America, Mexico, and Venezuela, but not in Europe. In Italy, the possibility for this tick to become endemic is unlikely because of the absence of its principal hosts. Nevertheless, this finding confirms the high risk of introducing exotic species that is linked with global commerce and therefore the need for veterinary control of shipments.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"100 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140609831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HOST SWITCHING IN DICYEMIDS (PHYLUM DICYEMIDA)","authors":"Hiroaki Nakajima, Ayako Fukui, Kazutaka Suzuki, R. Yusrifar Kharisma Tirta, Hidetaka Furuya","doi":"10.1645/23-52","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/23-52","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dicyemids (phylum Dicyemida) are the most common and most characteristic endosymbionts in the renal sacs of benthic cephalopod molluscs: octopuses and cuttlefishes. Typically, 2 or 3 dicyemid species are found in a single specimen of the host, and most dicyemids have high host specificity. Host-specific parasites are restricted to a limited range of host species by ecological barriers that impede dispersal and successful establishment; therefore, phylogenies of interacting groups are often congruent due to repeated co-speciation. Most frequently, however, host and parasite phylogenies are not congruent, which can be explained by processes such as host switching and other macro-evolutionary events. Here, the history of dicyemids and their host cephalopod associations were studied by comparing their phylogenies. Dicyemid species were collected from 8 decapodiform species and 12 octopodiform species in Japanese waters. Using whole mitochondrial cytochrome <em>c</em> oxidase subunit 1 (<em>COI</em>) sequences, a phylogeny of 37 dicyemid species, including 4 genera representing the family Dicyemidae, was reconstructed. Phylogenetic trees derived from analyses of <em>COI</em> genes consistently suggested that dicyemid species should be separated into 3 major clades and that the most common genera, <em>Dicyema</em> and <em>Dicyemennea,</em> are not monophyletic. Thus, morphological classification does not reflect the phylogenetic relationships of these 2 genera. Divergence (speciation) of dicyemid species seems to have occurred within a single host species. Possible host-switching events may have occurred between the Octopodiformes and Decapodiformes or within the Octopodiformes or the Decapodiformes. Therefore, the mechanism of dicyemid speciation may be a mixture of host switching and intra-host speciation. This is the first study in which the process of dicyemid diversification involving cephalopod hosts has been evaluated with a large number of dicyemid species and genera.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140609598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"THE COCCIDIA SPECIES PFEIFFERINELLA ELLIPSOIDES EXHIBITS SPATIAL AND SPECIES-SPECIFIC VARIATION IN PREVALENCE AMONG FRESHWATER SNAILS","authors":"Maria Reid Bollinger, Taylor Michelle Fiedor, Kyle Douglas Gustafson","doi":"10.1645/23-17","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/23-17","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Freshwater snails are commonly studied within the context of their role as intermediate hosts for digenetic trematodes. However, there are fundamental data deficiencies related to our understanding of directly transmitted parasites, such as coccidia, for freshwater snails. Because variation in coccidia pathogenicity and transmission among snail species likely has major impacts on snail community structure, we aimed to investigate the spatial distribution and prevalence of coccidia in several freshwater snail species throughout the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains ecoregions in Arkansas. We opportunistically collected 220 freshwater snails from 24 Ozark sites in summer 2022 and scanned fecal slides for the presence of coccidia. In summer 2023, we surveyed an additional 146 snails from 19 Ouachita sites. To test for apparent interactions among coccidia and trematodes, we scanned feces from a subset of snails (<em>Physa</em> and <em>Planorbella</em> in the Ozarks) that did not have concurrent trematode infections and from those that did. We observed oocysts that morphologically conformed to <em>Pfeifferinella ellipsoides</em> in 2 of the 9 snail taxa from 7 of the 43 sites. <em>Planorbella trivolvis</em> was infected at 2 of 6 sites in the Ozarks and 0 of 5 sites in the Ouachitas. <em>Physa</em> species were infected at 6 of 14 sites in the Ozarks and 0 of 12 sites in the Ouachitas. In the Ozarks, <em>Pl. trivolvis</em> had an overall prevalence of 0.13 (6 of 47), whereas individuals in the genus <em>Physa</em> had an overall prevalence of 0.08 (8 of 97). Our chi-square and Fisher exact tests revealed no significant evidence for trematode–coccidia competition or synergism within the two snail species. There were no other species infected, and we did not observe any coccidia in the snails from the Ouachitas. Our survey of 366 snails among 9 taxa and 43 sites represents the largest survey for freshwater snail coccidia to date and indicates that both <em>Pl. trivolvis</em> and <em>Physa</em> spp. may be primary hosts and/or reservoir hosts for <em>Pf. ellipsoides</em> in freshwater snail communities. The highly aggregated distribution of <em>Pf. ellipsoides</em> in northwestern Arkansas requires further investigation. Our results led to proposal of several hypotheses for additional research, including questions regarding the variation of coccidia host specificity and virulence.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"177 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140804342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"INFLUENCE OF GROOMING ON PERMANENT ARTHROPOD ASSOCIATES OF BIRDS: CATTLE EGRETS, LICE, AND MITES.","authors":"Matthew M Waller, Hannah M Warr, Graham B Goodman, Sarah E Bush, Dale H Clayton","doi":"10.1645/23-85","DOIUrl":"10.1645/23-85","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Birds have a diverse community of \"permanent\" arthropods that complete their entire life cycle on the body of the host. Because some of these arthropods are parasites that reduce host fitness, birds control them by grooming, which consists of preening with the beak and scratching with the feet. Although preening is the primary component of grooming, scratching is essential for controlling arthropods on the head and neck, which cannot be preened. Several unrelated groups of birds have evolved comb-like pectinate claws on the middle toenail of each foot. We tested the role of these claws in the control of arthropods by experimentally removing teeth from the claws of captive western cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) infested with chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera), feather mites (Acari: Sarcoptiformes), and nasal mites (Acari: Mesostigmata). After a period of 4 mo, we compared the abundance of arthropods on experimental birds to that of control birds with intact teeth. We used video to quantify the grooming rates of the captive birds, which groomed twice as much as wild birds. Experimental and control birds did not differ significantly in grooming time. Both groups virtually eradicated the chewing lice, but not feather mites or nasal mites. We found no support for the hypothesis that pectinate claws increase the efficiency of arthropod control by grooming. Experiments with wild birds are needed to test the hypothesis further under conditions in which birds devote less time to grooming.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 2","pages":"143-149"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140335997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}