Chewing lice of Procellaria aequinoctialis Linnaeus, 1758 in Brazil with a new host record

Abstract

The white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) is a seabird widely distributed in the circumpolar sub-Antarctic islands and subtropical regions, including Brazilian waters. Among the parasites present on the white-chinned petrel are the chewing lice. This seabird is parasitized by 4 known lice species to date. In this study we evaluated the ectoparasites of 2 white-chinned petrels rescued by an animal rehabilitation center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and recorded 4 species of chewing lice, of which 3 are already known for this host. One of the species however, has never been recorded in Brazil and another one has never been recorded parasitizing P. aequinoctialis, making this a new host record.

Keywords: Austromenopon echinatum; Ectoparasite; Louse; Procellaria aequinoctialis; Seabird; White-Chinned Petrel.