Lice and ticks parasitizing Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii Payraudeau, 1826 (Aves, Laridae) in the Chafarinas lslands (W Mediterranean)

Abstract

Lice and ticks parasitizing Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii Payraudeau, 7826 (Aves, Laridae) in the Chafarinas lslands (W Mediterranean)
Data on lice and ticks parasitizing gulls are scarce. Here data on 58 adult and 10 young Audouin’s gulls from the Chafarinas lslands are provided. Three species of chewing lice Austromenopon transversum (prevalence / mean intensity: 20%-2), Koeniginirmus punctatus (100%-15.5). and Saemundssonia lari (10%-3.2) and one tick Ornithodoros maritimus (100%-18) were found. A. transversum, S. lari, and O.. maritimus are recorded for the first time for L. audouinii.