title: Chewing lice Trichodectes pinguis pinguis in Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos).
abstract: In April 2014 and 2015, we noted localized alopecia (neck, forelimbs, and chest) and hyperpigmentation on two adult brown bears (Ursus arctos) captured in central-south Sweden for ecological studies under the Scandinavian Brown Bear Research Project. In spring 2015, a brown bear was shot because of human-wildlife conflict in the same region. This bear also had extensive alopecia and hyperpigmentation. Ectoparasites were collected from the affected skin areas in all three individuals and preserved in ethanol for identification. Based on morphological characteristics, the lice were identified as Trichodectes spp. and Trichodectes pinguis pinguis. To our knowledge, these are the first reported cases of chewing lice in free-ranging brown bears in Scandinavia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2418 Elverum, Norway.
authors.forename: Núria Fandos
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Esteruelas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases, National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malmsten
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases, National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bröjer
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lindström
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, SW7 5BD London, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, PO Box 5685 Sluppen, Trondheim NO-7485, Norway.
authors.forename: Jon E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Swenson
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2418 Elverum, Norway.
authors.forename: Alina L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2418 Elverum, Norway; Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skogsmarksgränd Street, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jon M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Arnemo
keywords: Alopecia; Biting lice; Brown bear; Sweden; Trichodectes pinguis; Ursus arctos