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Patterns of cryptic host specificity in duck lice based on molecular data
Author(s) -
ESCALANTE G. C.,
SWEET A. D.,
MCCRACKEN K. G.,
GUSTAFSSON D. R.,
WILSON R. E.,
JOHNSON K. P.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1111/mve.12157
Subject(s) - biology , taxonomy (biology) , zoology , waterfowl , species complex , dna barcoding , host (biology) , host specificity , evolutionary biology , taxonomic rank , genus , phylogenetic tree , ecology , taxon , genetics , gene , habitat
Documenting patterns of host specificity in parasites relies on the adequate definition of parasite species. In many cases, parasites have simplified morphology, making species delimitation based on traditional morphological characters difficult. Molecular data can help in assessing whether widespread parasites harbour cryptic species and, alternatively, in guiding further taxonomic revision in cases in which there is morphological variation. The duck louse genus A naticola ( P hthiraptera: P hilopteridae), based on current taxonomy, contains both host‐specific and widespread species. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences of samples from this genus were used to document patterns of host specificity. The comparison of these patterns with morphological variations in A naticola revealed a general correspondence between the groups identified by DNA sequences and morphology, respectively. These results suggest that a more thorough taxonomic review of this genus is needed. In general, the groups identified on the basis of molecular data were associated with particular groups of waterfowl (e.g. dabbling ducks, sea ducks, geese) or specific biogeographic regions (e.g. N orth A merica, S outh A merica, A ustralia, E urasia).