Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T20:28:46.616Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The mites parasitic in the lungs of birds. The variability of Sternostoma tracheacolum Lawrence, 1948, in domestic and wild birds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

A. Fain  and
K. E. Hyland
A. Fain
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Zoologie Medicale, Institut de Médecine Tropicale Prince Léopold, Antwerp, Belgium
K. E. Hyland*
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Zoologie Medicale, Institut de Médecine Tropicale Prince Léopold, Antwerp, Belgium
*
*Fulbright Research Scholar (1960–61) in Belgium, from Department of Zoology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, U.S.A.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The mites known to parasitize the lower respiratory tract of birds are discussed and a host list of the various species is given.

Sternostoma tracheacolum Lawrence, 1948, is redescribed and the variations in specimens from various hosts and localities are analysed. The synonymy of S. castroae with S. tracheacolum is confirmed and S. meddai and Agapornyssus faini are made new synonyms of S. tracheacolum. The specimens found in canaries vary widely according to the origin of the host. Those from South African and Italian canaries are closely related morphologically and present relatively long chelae, while specimens from Belgian and North American canaries have much smaller chelae. An intermediate form is found in a Brazilian canary. S. tracheacolum is thought to use wild birds as its normal hosts since it has been found repeatedly in birds in North America, as well as in other parts of the world, and because its presence in the trachea and lungs in these birds seems to be much better tolerated than in the canaries. Canaries are thus probably infested secondarily, and it seems that Passer domesticus has served in the transfer of the mites between the two groups. The specimens from wild birds present the same variability as those of the canaries, and one can also distinguish three different groups on the basis of the length of the chela. The origin of these variations is discussed. Geographical or biological isolation of the host probably plays a more important role than the host itself in the production of variation.

Hypopi representing probably two species of the genus Falculifer have been found in the air-sacs and lungs of two central African birds. Also Speleognathus poffei, S. striatus and Boydaia sp. have been taken from the lungs or trachea of their hosts in Ruanda-Urundi or U.S.A.

Collection of most North American material was carried out under a research grant (G-11035) from the National Science Foundation.

The authors wish to thank the following for their co-operation and assistance in this study by making available various collections of Sternostoma tracheacolum: E. W. Baker, U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C.; G. Owen Evans, British Museum (Natural History), London; D. P. Furman, University of California, Berkeley; S. Grétillat, Laboratoire Central de l'Elevage, Dakar; R. F. Lawrence, Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg; and G. Lombardini, Rome.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 52 , Issue 3-4 , November 1962 , pp. 401 - 424
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1962

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Baker, E. W., Evans, T. M., Gould, D. J., Hull, W. B. & Keegan, H. L. (1956). A manual of mites of medical or economic importance. Tech. Pub. Nat. Pest., Contr. Ass. New York, 170 pp.Google Scholar
Bregetova, N. (1951). Mites parasitizing the nasal cavities of birds. Parasit. Sbornik, Zool. Inst. Acad. Sci. U.S.S.R., 13, 111–19.Google Scholar
Cassamagnaghi, A. (1952). Las endoparasitosis de nuestras especies domesticas. Bol. Direct. Ganaderia, Uruguay, 33, 80–90.Google Scholar
Cumming, R. B. (1959). Respiratory acariasis of canaries and Gouldian finches. J. S. Afr. Vet. Med. Ass. 30, 31–2.Google Scholar
Edminster, F. C. (1947). The Ruffed Grouse. New York: Macmillan Co.Google Scholar
Fain, A. (1955). Sur le parasitisme des fosses nasales chez les mammifères et les oiseaux par les Speleognathidae. Ann. Soc. Belg. Méd. Trop. 6, 689–700.Google Scholar
Fain, A. (1956). Note complémentaire sur les Rhinonyssidae au Ruanda-Urundi. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 53, 392–8.Google Scholar
Fain, A. (1957). Les Acariens des familles Epidermoptidae et Rhinonyssidae parasites des fosses nasales d'Oiseaux au Ruanda-Urundi et au Congo Belge. Ann. Mus. Congo belge T. (Sér. in 8e), 60, 1–176.Google Scholar
Fain, A. (1958). Acariens parasites nasicoles chez les oiseaux du Zoo d'Anvers. Description de trois espèces nouvelles. Bull. Soc. Roy. Zool. Anvers, 9, 1–13.Google Scholar
Fain, A. (1960 a). Révision du genre Cytodites (Mégnin) et description de 2 espèces et un genre nouveaux dans la famille Cytoditidae Oudemans. Acarologia, 2, 238–249.Google Scholar
Fain, A. (1960 b). Morphologie comparée des Rhinonyssidae. I. La longueur des doigts chélicéraux. Bull. Ann. Soc. Roy. Ent. Belg. 96, 303–13.Google Scholar
Fain, A. (1960 c). Rallinyssus gallinulae n.sp. et Rallinyssoides n.g., parasites de Rallidae, avec une clé des Rhinonyssinae. Bull. Ann. Soc. Roy. Ent. Belg. 96, 293–302.Google Scholar
Fain, A. (1961). Les Acariens de la famille Entonyssidae parasites endopùlmonaires des Serpents. Bull. Inst. Roy. Sci. Nat. Belgique 6, 1–135.Google Scholar
Fain, A. & Carpentier, J. (1958). Acariase pulmonaire mortelle chez des Canaris du Zoo. Bull. Soc. Roy. Zool. Anvers, 9, 21–4.Google Scholar
Furman, D. P. (1957). Revision of the genus Sternostoma Berlese and Trouessart. Hilgardia, 26, 473–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goksu, K., Wharton, G. W. & Yunker, C. E. (1960). Variation in populations of laboratory reared Trombicula (Leptotrombidium) akamushi (Acarina: Trombiculidae). Acarologia, 2, 199–209.Google Scholar
Grétillat, S., Capron, A. & Brygoo, E. R. (1959). Acariens Rhinonyssidae de Madagascar. Agapornyssinae n.s.fam.; Agapornyssus n.g.; Agapornyssus faini n.sp.; Ptilonyssus madagascariensis n.sp. et Neonyssus marcandrei n.sp.; parasites des fosses nasales et des poumons d'Oiseaux malgaches. Acarologia, 1, 375–84.Google Scholar
Hyland, K. E. & Clark, D. T. (1959). Sternostoma kelloggi, a new species of nasal mite from the catbird (Acarina: Rhinonyssidae). J. Parasit. 45, 223–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Higby, W. E. (1946). A new canary plague. All Pets Mag. (Dec.), pp. 8–9.Google Scholar
Lawrence, R. F. (1948). Studies on some parasitic mites from Canada and South Africa. J. Parasit. 34, 364–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lombardini, G. (1953). Acari nuovi XXIX. Redia, 38, 181–94.Google Scholar
Medda, A. (1953). Acariasi delle vie respiratorie in Serinus c. canarius L. ed in Carduelis carduelis tschussi Arrig. Atti. Soc. Ital. Sci. Vet. 7, 731–6.Google Scholar
Medda, A. (1957). Il dimorphismo sessuale dello Sternostoma meddai Lombardini. Vet. Ital. 8, 763–8.Google Scholar
Stephan, S. A. R., Kaschula, V. R. & Canham, A. S. (1950). Respiratory acariasis of canaries. J. S. A. Vet. Med. Ass. 21, 103–7.Google Scholar
Strandtmann, R. W. (1960). Nasal mites of Thailand birds (Acarina-Rhinonyssidae). J. Kansas Ent. Soc. 33, 137.Google Scholar
Torres, C. M., Lent, H. & Moreira, L. F. (1951). Acarinose das respiratorias do canario (‘Serinus canarius’ L.) por ‘Sternostoma tracheacolum’ Lawrence, 1948. Rev. Brasil. Biol. 11, 399–406.Google Scholar