Ecological relationships between feather mites (Acari) and wild birds ofEmberizidae (Aves) in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil

Palm Tanager (Thraupis palmarum) Science Article 1

abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate feather mites on birds of the Family Emberizidae, tocollect data on the ecological ectoparasite-host relationship and infestation level. A sum of 94 birds of 9 specieswas captured at the Refugio Ecologico Charles Darwin, Igarassu, Pernambuco, Brazil, from August 1996 to July1997. Five genera of mites from the superfamily Analgoidea were identified: Analges Nitzsch, 1818; MesalgoidesGaud & Atyeo, 1967; Pterodectes Robin, 1877; Proctophyllodes Robin, 1877 and Trouessartia Canestrini, 1899. Amongthe 94 birds examined, 92 (97,87%) were infested. Regarding the prevalence, it was observed that the generawith higher percentage were, respectively, Pterodectes (88,04%), Proctophyllodes (56,52%) and Trouessartia (45,65%).

Rachel M. de Lyra-Neves Angela M. Isidro de Farias & Wallace R. Telino-Junior, Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 20 (3): 481-485, 2003

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