1
|
Deng YP, Wang W, Fu YT, Nie Y, Xie Y, Liu GH. Morphological and molecular evidence reveals a new species of chewing louse Pancola ailurus n. sp. (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) from the endangered Chinese red panda Ailurus styani. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 20:31-38. [PMID: 36619891 PMCID: PMC9811220 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Lice are six-legged, wingless, insect parasites of mammals and birds, and include two main functional groups: blood-sucking lice and chewing lice. However, it is still not clear whether the Chinese red panda Ailurus styani is infested with the parasitic louse. In the present study, we describe a new genus and a species of chewing louse, Pancola ailurus (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) based on morphological and molecular datasets. The morphological features showed that Pancola is closer to Paratrichodectes. The genetic divergence of cox1 and 12S rRNA among the Pancola ailurus n. sp. and other Trichodectidae lice was 29.7 - 34.6% and 38.9 - 43.6%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on the available mitochondrial gene sequences showed that P. ailurus n. sp. is more closely related to Trichodectes canis and Geomydoecus aurei than to Felicola subrostratus and together nested within the family Trichodectidae. This study is the first record of parasitic lice from the endangered Chinese red panda A. styani and highlights the importance of integrating morphological and molecular datasets for the identification and discrimination of new louse species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ping Deng
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410128, China
| | - Wei Wang
- The Centre for Bioinnovation, School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia
| | - Yi-Tian Fu
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410128, China
| | - Yu Nie
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410128, China
| | - Yue Xie
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 611130, China,Corresponding author.
| | - Guo-Hua Liu
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410128, China,Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|