ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on six white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) between the years 2002-2006. Oral cavities of the pelicans were examined macroscopically. The lice found in the oral cavities were collected by forceps and were preserved in tubes containing 70% alcohol. Also, each pelican was put in a big carton-box, the bottom of which was covered with a white paper and the pelicans were treated with propoxur for a few minutes. The lice that fell on to the paper were collected in a Petri dish and later on they were put in vials containing 70% alcohol. Five (83.3%) out of the six pelicans under examination were found to be infested with at least one lice species. From the oral cavities and bodies of the pelicans 346 lice were collected and three species namely: Piagetiella titan (Piaget, 1880), Pectinopygus forficulatus (Nitzsch, 1866) and Colpocephalum eucarenum (Burmeister, 1838) were identified as three Mallophaga species. Pectinopygus forficulatus and Colpocephalum eucarenum were recorded for the first time from the white pelicans in Turkey.

Keywords: Piagetiella titan, Pectinopygus forficulatus, Colpocephalum eucarenum, white pelican, Turkey