Norwegian rock ptarmigan ectoparasites: chewing lice (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera) and feather mites (Astigmata, Psoroptidia)

Abstract

Feather mites (Astigmata, Psoroptidia), quill mites (Prostigmata, Syringophilidae) and chewing lice (Phthiraptera) are prominent parts of avian ectoparasites communities. Much attention has been directed to chewing lice but much less to mite infestations. The present study determined the prevalence and species of feather mites among Norwegian rock ptarmigan. Ten rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta (Montin, 1781), six juveniles and four adults) collected in September 2012 at HOI, Odda: Møyfallsnuten, Norway (EIS 32, UTM 32V 6691051N 33427E), were examined for ectoparasites. Four species of ectoparasites were found, including two feather mites and two chewing lice. The feather mites Tetraolichus lagopi Mironov et al., 2010 and Strelkoviacarus holoaspis Mironov et al., 2010, are species new to Norway. T. lagopi was highly prevalent (80%), with a mean intensity of 9.1 mites, while both prevalence (30%) and mean intensity (1.7 mites) were lower for S. holoaspis. Chewing lice Goniodes lagopi (Linnaeus, 1758) and Lagopoecus affinis (Children, 1836) are well known parasites of rock and willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) in Norway. Both G. lagopi (90%) and L. affinis (70%) were highly prevalent, with mean intensities of 7.9 and 4.6 lice, respectively. These rock ptarmigan ectoparasites are host-specific or parasitic to other closely related species (Lagopus, Tetrao, Lyrurus, and Falcipennis), and all have a very long history of association with their tetraonid (Tetraoninae) hosts reaching back to the North American heartland.