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Molecular phylogenetics of the avian feather louse Philopterus-complex (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae)
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Molecular phylogenetics of the avian feather louse Philopterus-complex (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae)

Stanislav Kolencik, Kevin P. Johnson, Avery R. Grant, Michel P. Valim, Kamila M.D. Kuabara, Jason D. Weckstein and Julie M. Allen
Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, v 174, 107556
Sep 2022
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107556View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (Publisher-Specific) Open

Abstract

Chewing lice DNA Molecular biology Species complex Taxonomy
[Display omitted] •Study provides extensive taxon sampling for a molecular phylogenetic reconstruction of avian lice in the Philopterus-complex.•Philopterus-complex was recovered as a major clade with strong support.•Genus Debeauxoecus is outside of the Philopterus-complex clade.•Both host association and biogeography interact to structure the phylogenetic tree of the Philopterus-complex. The avian feather louse Philopterus-complex (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) currently contains 12 genera that have been grouped together because of shared morphological characteristics. Although previously lumped into a single genus (Philopterus), more recent morphological treatments have separated the group into several different genera. Here we evaluate the status of these genera using DNA sequence data from 118 ingroup specimens belonging to ten genera in the Philopterus-complex: Australophilopterus Mey, 2004, Cinclosomicola Mey 2004, Clayiella Eichler, 1940, Corcorides Mey, 2004, Mayriphilopterus Mey, 2004, Paraphilopterus Mey 2004, Philopteroides Mey 2004, Philopterus Nitzsch, 1818, Tyranniphilopterus Mey, 2004, and Vinceopterus Gustafsson, Lei, Chu, Zou, and Bush, 2019. Our sampling includes 97 new louse-host association records. Our analyses suggest that the genus Debeauxoecus Conci, 1941, parasitic on pittas (Aves: Pittidae), is outside of the Philopterus-complex, and that there is strong support for the monophyly of a group containing the remaining genera from the complex. Some diverse genera, such as Philopterus (sensu stricto) and Mayriphilopterus are supported as monophyletic, whereas the genera Australophilopterus, Philopteroides, and Tyranniphilopterus are not. The present study is the largest phylogenetic reconstruction of avian lice belonging to the Philopterus-complex to date and suggests that further generic revision is needed in the group to integrate molecular and morphological information.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Genetics & Heredity
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