Studies on the ectoparasites of seals and penguins. III. The distribution of the tick Ixodes uriae White and the flea Parapsyllus magellanicus heardi de Meillon on Macquarie Island

Abstract

On Macquarie I. it rains daily and abundantly; whether the habitat is flooded or not determines whether the tick Ixodes uriae and the flea Pavapsyllus magellanicus heardi can survive and breed. The principal hosts of these ectoparasites are penguins; the degree of infestation of the four species of penguins that breed on Macquarie I. differs because of differences in their breeding and moulting behaviour. Royal penguins, Eudyptes chrysolophus schlegeli, form large colonies which are surrounded by tussock, Poa foliosa. Rock stacks covered with vegetation may be within the colony. The drier conditions within the tussock and on the rock stacks are necessary for oviposition and egg development of I. uriae although larvae, nymphs, and adults can survive submersion in water for many weeks. Royal penguins are present in the colony from September to April, and consequently a blood meal is readily available close to the breeding area of the tick for half of the year. In these circumstances the life cycle of I. uriae can be completed within 2 yr. The other penguin species do not afford such favourable opportunities for population growth of I. uriae. Only the rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome, nests in sheltered situations such as caves, or under overhanging rocks. In these drier nests the larval and adult flea, P. magellanicus heardi, can survive, and the larvae can overwinter.

The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History

“…Females laid up to 555 eggs, oviposition initiated after 2-8 weeks, depending on temperature. Eggs may hatch in as little as about 60 days (Murray and Vestjens 1967), but may remain viable for more than a year under certain conditions . Although the entire life cycle can be completed in 407 days under laboratory conditions, Flint and Kostyrko (1967) and found that in the field, the life cycle required 4-5 years, with all instars being capable of overwintering.…”

“…Although the entire life cycle can be completed in 407 days under laboratory conditions, Flint and Kostyrko (1967) and found that in the field, the life cycle required 4-5 years, with all instars being capable of overwintering. Ixodes uriae can be abundant and obvious on sea birds, especially on chicks (see photos in Murray and Vestjens 1967;Bergström et al 1999a). This species has been shown to reduce growth rate and prolong time to fledging for Cassin's auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus (Pallas)) nestlings in British Columbia (Morbey 1996).…”

Checklist of Platyhelminthes, Acanthocephala, Nematoda and Arthropoda parasitizing penguins of the world

“…Aptenodytes patagonicus, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Dumbleton 1953;Bishop and Heath 1998;Dietrich et al 2010) Eudyptes robustus, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Heath 2010;Dietrich et al 2010) Eudyptula minor, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Bishop and Heath 1998;Dietrich et al 2010) Megadyptes antipodes, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Bishop and Heath 1998;Dietrich et al 2010) Ixodes eudyptidis Maskell, 1885 Eudyptes pachyrhynchus, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Dumbleton 1953;Bishop and Heath 1998;Dietrich et al 2010) Eudyptula minor, unspecified site of infection, Australia (Murray et al 1991) Megadyptes antipodes, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Heath 2010 Aptenodytes fosteri, unspecified site of infection, Macquarie Island, Australia (Major et al 2009) Aptenodytes patagonicus, neck and head (adults) and lower parts (larvae), Possession Island, Crozet Archipelago, southern Indian Ocean (Frenot et al 2001;Gauthier-Clerc et al 2003); Macquarie Island, Australia (Major et al 2009); New Zealand (Dumbleton 1953;Bishop and Heath 1998) Eudyptes chrysocome, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Bishop and Heath 1998); Macquarie Island, Australia (Major et al 2009) Eudyptes chrysolophus, unspecified site of infection, Subantarctic (Nutall 1984) Eudyptes pachyrhynchus, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Dumbleton 1953;Bishop and Heath 1998) Eudyptes robustus, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Dumbleton 1961;Murray et al 1991;Bishop and Heath 1998) Eudyptes sclateri, unspecified site of infection, New Zealand (Dumbleton 1953;Bishop and Heath 1998) Eudyptes schlegeli, unspecified site of infection, Macquarie Island, Australia …”

Notes sur la spécificité et l’éco-éthologie des puces d’oiseaux aux iles Kerguelen(Insecta ; Siphonaptera)

“…nom P. magellanicus) ;Smit 1987), îles Kerguelen (Smit, 1957), Archipel Crozet (groupe oriental) : île de la Possession (Beaucournu et Rodhain, 1991), île Marion (Smit, 1987). Par contre les citations de ce taxon concernant l'île Macquarie (De Meillon, 1952;Murray et Vestjens, 1967) sont à rapporter à P. m. magellanicus Jordan, 1938. Spécificité : Trois taxa du sous-groupe magellanicus sont liés aux oiseaux terrestres : Passeriformes (Turdidés, Prunellidés, ...) et, peut-être, Gruiformes (Rallidés), les 3 autres aux oiseaux marins : c'est évidemment le cas de P. heardi.…”

“…Dans un travail, où la puce désignée comme P. m. heardi est en fait P. m. magellanicus, Murray et Vestjens (1967) à l'île Macquarie étudient sa biologie aux dépens d'Eudyptes chrysocome. Ils notent que seuls les nids abrités ou a for tiori dans des cavités sont infestés; ceux, avoisinants, éta blis à l'air libre et soumis aux intempéries, sont dépourvus de puces.…”