The brown booby (Sula leucogaster Boddaert, 1783) has a wide geographic distribution, being found throughout the intertropical range except for the west coast of South America. Chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) are ectoparasites commonly found in association with a wide variety of bird species, and extensive infestations can lead to severe itching and irritation that causes skin lesions, damage to the plumage, and abandonment of nests. Sula leucogaster lice have an atypical distribution, not fully following the distribution of their host. In the years 2018 and 2019, 4 marine animal rehabilitation centers located in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil received live birds and carcasses of Sula leucogaster. The animals were deloused and lice of 2 different species were collected. Identification was performed by optical microscopy, and the species found were Eidmanniella albescens Piaget, 1880 and Pectinopygus garbei Pessoa and Guimarães, 1935. This is the first record of both species in Rio de Janeiro.
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3 March 2022
The Chewing Lice of Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) in Southeastern Brazil
Magda Antonello,
Sarah Lira,
Eduardo Burgarelli,
Mariana de Almeida Novaes Fernandes,
Jeferson Rocha Pires,
Beatriz Brener
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Journal of Parasitology
Vol. 108 • No. 2
March 2022
Vol. 108 • No. 2
March 2022
Amblycera
ectoparasites
Eidmanniella albescens
Ischnocera
Pectinopygus garbei
Phthiraptera
seabirds