title: New host/parasite record for very rare chewing louse Cuculotogaster arabicus (Clay, 1938) (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) on endemic mountain partridges of Arabian Peninsula.
abstract: The endemic avifauna of Arabia is unique and characteristic through the whole region. Little is known about these birds and their ectoparasites. The Arabian partridge Alectoris melanocephala (Rüppell, 1835) and Philby's partridge Alectoris philbyi Lowe, 1934 are two endemic species which are distributed through the Sarawat Mountains in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Captive breeding population of these birds were examined for chewing lice at the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) near Ta'if. Only one rare species of louse, Cuculotogaster arabicus (Clay 1938), was found to infest these birds. The occurrence of such species is considered a first record of the genus Cuculotogaster from Saudi Arabia, and the association of C. arabicus with Philby's partridge is considered a new host/parasite association. The clear diagnostic characters, high definition photos, and drawing of male genitalia are available through this paper.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, Research Chair of Insect Vector Borne Diseases, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. mgnasser@sci.asu.edu.eg.|Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. mgnasser@sci.asu.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Mohamed Gamal El-Den
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Nasser
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, Research Chair of Insect Vector Borne Diseases, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. azzam333@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Azzam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Science College, Ta'if University, Ta'if, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shobrak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D046094:Galliformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D058326:Ischnocera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012529:Saudi Arabia
keywords: Arabian partridge; Cuculotogaster spp.; Endemics; Philby’s partridge; Saudi Arabia