title: Ectoparasites of the black-chinned siskin Spinus barbatus (Passeriformes: Fringillidae) in Chile.
abstract: Despite being a bird with a broad and extensive distribution in Chile, the black-chinned siskin, Spinus barbatus Molina, 1782 is not well studied in relation to its parasites. This paper aims to describe the ectoparasite fauna of S. barbatus in central and southern Chile. A total of 125 individuals caught with mist nets were examined alive; a total of 22 parasites were found dead and were exposed to parasit autopsy. The extracted parasites were preserved in 70% alcohol for subsequent mounting and identification. Ectoparasites were found in 56 black-chinned siskins (38%); 48 of them (33%) had 870 mites - 680 feather mites (Astigmata: Analgoidea) were identified as Proctophyllodes spini, 167 as Knemidokoptes jamaicensis, 19 as Strelkoviacarus critesi, and one as Analges passerinus. Moreover, three mites were chiggers belonging to the tribe Schoengastiini (Prostigmata: Trombiculidae). In 21 birds (14%), 54 lice were found, 21 of which were identified as Philopterus roehreri, 18 as Myrsidea serini, and 15 as Ricinus carolynae. Endoparasites were not found in the necropsied individuals. All of the parasites that were found represent new records for Chile, and they also serve as new records of host-parasite associations for S. barbatus.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile.
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuentes-Castillo
authors.affiliation: Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cicchino
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mironov
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: Lucila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Landaeta-Aqueveque
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Recursos Naturales y Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Santo Tomás, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barrientos
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: González-Acuña
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D002677:Chile; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008925:Mites; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000469:parasitology*