Neohaematopinus syriacus Ferris, 1923

Neohaematopinus syriacus Ferris, 1923 View in CoL

Female. Length varies from 1.94–2.02 mm ( Figure 3a View Figure 3 ) (Table 3). Head length and width are close to equal, or slightly longer than the wide, slightly tapered in front. The preantennal part very short, postantennal part very long, straight or slightly convex ( Figure 3b View Figure 3 ). The first antennal segment wide, has a posterior stout seta ( Fig 3c View Figure 3 ).

*NS: not stated.

Prothorax with one mediolateral dorsal seta on each side. Mesothorax dorsally with two setae, the outer one short, the inner one quite long, spiracle distinct. Metathorax posteriorly with 7 setae, five in the center and one on each mediolateral ( Figure 3d View Figure 3 ). The thoracic plate has two extensions at the posterior end. The first pair of legs smaller and with slender claws. The second and third pair of legs larger and with stout claws. All the coxae with one seta posteriorly.

Abdomen slender and elongated. Its length is slightly longer than one and a half times its width. Tergal and sternal plates slender, weakly chitinized only in the median. Paratergal plates with three setae on each lobe ( Figure 3e View Figure 3 ). Sternites II–VI and tergites III–VII with two transverse row setae. Abdominal chaetotaxy: Sternites II: 6; III: 7; IV–VII: 9–11 anterior central setae, 9 posterior setae on sternites III–VII; VIII: 5, in addition with one lateral seta on each side of segments III–VII. Tergites II: 11; III–VII: 10–13 anterior setae, 10–15 posterior setae, VIII: 7 posterior setae.

Male. Similar to the female ( Figure 4a View Figure 4 ). However, the third antennal segment with two short, stout setae in the distal pre-axial angle ( Fig 4b View Figure 4 ). The thoracic plate has two extensions at the posterior end ( Figure 4c View Figure 4 ). Male genitalia as in Fig 4d View Figure 4 .

Discussion

Herein, two sucking louse species, i.e., E. krochinae and N. syriacus , are added to the Phthiraptera fauna of Iran. Also, we report for the first time a mixed infestation of one individual Persian squirrel with two louse species, although mixed louse species infestation is not unusual ( Bahiraei et al. 2024). Furthermore, the morphological and morphometrical characteristics of males and females of both species are described. Enderleinellus krochinae belongs to the nitzschi group. The abdomen has five paratergal plates on segments II–VI and is morphologically close to E. nitzschi Fahrenholz, 1915 ( Fahrenholz, 1915). Enderleinellus nitzschi has been reported to infest the Eurasian red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 but differs in some characteristics, in particular, in the structure of the abdomen, which does not possess sclerotized sternite and with segment 3 bearing two long, strong paratergal setae as long as paratergite. Enderleinellus krochinae examined in this study was morphologically identical to the original description of Blagovestchensky (1965). However, there were some differences with Kim’s specimens (1966). In our male and female specimens, E. krochinae were bigger than Kim’s examples. Our male specimens were also slightly larger than Blagovestchensky’s (1965) specimens. According to Kim (1966), the head is longer in proportion to its width, but in the specimens examined in this study, head width and length were equal. Similar to Blagovestchensky’s (1965) and Kim’s (1966) descriptions, ACS was absent in females and present in males. Paratergal plates and male genitalia were consistent with Blagovestchensky’s (1965) and Kim’s (1966) descriptions. However, Kim’s drawing (Fig. 144) shows three short setae posterolaterally. The male specimens examined in this study had 5–6 short setae, as in Blagovestchensky’s figure (Fig. 5). In the female, the genital plate resembled more closely to Blagovestchensky’s original description ( Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ) but differed slightly from Kim’s drawing (Fig. 148), with a distinct indentation in the lateromedian.

The genus Neohaematopinus is characterized by the head usually abruptly broadened posteriorly, slightly sexually dimorphic antennae, the third antennal segment of the male slightly elongated at the preaxial angle and bearing dorsally 1–2 small, stout recurved setae, the first pair of legs with small and with slender claws, always with paratergal plates on segments 3–8 of the abdomen, females with two rows of setae on segments 2–7 (Ferris, 1951). Neohaematopinus syriacus was previously described from the Caucasian squirrel ( Sciurus anomalus Güldenstädt ) (Syn: Sciurus syriacus ), North Syria, and Soumela by Ferris ( Ferris 1923). Ferris (1923) stated that N. syriacus is generally identical to N. sciurinis , but the paratergal plates are different, and he gave a drawing of the paratergal plates (Fig. 160E). The specimens of N. syriacus examined in this study are also identical to Ferris’s description, and the paratergal plates are also consistent with Ferris’s drawing. However, Ferris (1923) reported that the females and males of N. syriacus were 1.5 mm and 1.3 mm in length, respectively. The length of the female N. syriacus examined in this study was 1.95–2.02 mm, and the length of the male was 1.61 mm, i. e., slightly larger than Ferris (1923). Dik (2020) reported that the female of this species was 1.90–2.11 mm, and the male was 1.54–1.64 mm in length. The specimens examined in this study are identical to Dik (2020), both morphologically and in length. Different morphometric data presented in this study and previous reports could be due to different factors such as the age of the lice, level of blood feed, and intraspecies differences.

We isolated a higher number of E. krochinae specimens than N. syriacus (i.e., 27 vs. 6), which could be due to the difference in the reproduction rate of the two louse species. However, since the examined squirrel was found dead, some of the lice could have potentially left the animal’s body.

Considering the wide distribution of this squirrel species in the Zagros Mountains (northwestern and western provinces) and the recent invasion to the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains (Tehran, Alborz, Qazvin provinces), the distribution of lice species identified herein needs further investigation. In addition, examination of Persian squirrel lice for zoonotic pathogens is recommended ( Kazim et al. 2022) since, for instance, the southern flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans , is a zoonotic reservoir of Rickettsia prowazekii – the causative agent of louse-borne (epidemic) typhus. Inhalation or direct introduction (through mucous membrane or dermal abrasion) of infected feces from squirrel louse is suspected as a transmission route ( McDade, 1987).

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Hamidrzea Javaheri-Pirooz for presenting the squirrel carcass to the lab.

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