Hypodectes propus (Nitzsch, 1861) (Acarina: Hypoderatidae) in common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Columbidae): the first record in Türkiye

Hypoderatid mites of the species Hypodectes propus have a complex interaction with their hosts and much remains to be elucidated about these mites. This study was planned based on the observation of small worm-like structures in the subcutaneous adipose tissues of wood pigeons, which were noticed by...

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Main Authors: C. Ceylan, M. A. Selçuk, O. Ceylan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:The European Zoological Journal
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24750263.2025.2467852
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author C. Ceylan
M. A. Selçuk
O. Ceylan
author_facet C. Ceylan
M. A. Selçuk
O. Ceylan
author_sort C. Ceylan
collection DOAJ
description Hypoderatid mites of the species Hypodectes propus have a complex interaction with their hosts and much remains to be elucidated about these mites. This study was planned based on the observation of small worm-like structures in the subcutaneous adipose tissues of wood pigeons, which were noticed by hunters and caused concern in some state hunting areas in southern Türkiye. In this study, the prevalence of H. propus infestation in wood pigeon populations in Burdur and Antalya provinces of Türkiye was investigated and H. propus deutonymphs were detected in subcutaneous adipose tissues of 72.4% (n: 55) of a total of 76 hunted pigeons. Confirmation that the deutonymphs belonged to H. propus was carried out by microscopy and the combined use of PCR and sequence analysis. Pairwise comparisons of the 18S rRNA gene region revealed that the H. propus isolate identified in the study (PP472912) shared a high nucleotide sequence similarity (99.44%) with a Hypodectes sp. isolate reported from a Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) from the USA (JQ000124). The findings revealed a significant infestation rate, underscoring the burden of ectoparasites on pigeon populations and their implications for avian health. Such infestations can cause stress, reduce reproductive success and increase susceptibility to pathogens, especially in free-ranging pigeons, which may play a role in parasite dynamics within ecosystems. This study is the first report of H. propus infestation with molecular characterization in wood pigeons in Türkiye and it is believed that this study will be useful to scientists and hunters interested in the subject.
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spelling doaj-art-c7fe8b2b9ee147bb96bbfaee5859fecb2025-08-20T02:29:55ZengTaylor & Francis GroupThe European Zoological Journal2475-02632025-12-0192143444210.1080/24750263.2025.2467852Hypodectes propus (Nitzsch, 1861) (Acarina: Hypoderatidae) in common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Columbidae): the first record in TürkiyeC. Ceylan0M. A. Selçuk1O. Ceylan2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Siirt University, Siirt, TürkiyeFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Siirt University, Siirt, TürkiyeFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Selcuk University, Konya, TürkiyeHypoderatid mites of the species Hypodectes propus have a complex interaction with their hosts and much remains to be elucidated about these mites. This study was planned based on the observation of small worm-like structures in the subcutaneous adipose tissues of wood pigeons, which were noticed by hunters and caused concern in some state hunting areas in southern Türkiye. In this study, the prevalence of H. propus infestation in wood pigeon populations in Burdur and Antalya provinces of Türkiye was investigated and H. propus deutonymphs were detected in subcutaneous adipose tissues of 72.4% (n: 55) of a total of 76 hunted pigeons. Confirmation that the deutonymphs belonged to H. propus was carried out by microscopy and the combined use of PCR and sequence analysis. Pairwise comparisons of the 18S rRNA gene region revealed that the H. propus isolate identified in the study (PP472912) shared a high nucleotide sequence similarity (99.44%) with a Hypodectes sp. isolate reported from a Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) from the USA (JQ000124). The findings revealed a significant infestation rate, underscoring the burden of ectoparasites on pigeon populations and their implications for avian health. Such infestations can cause stress, reduce reproductive success and increase susceptibility to pathogens, especially in free-ranging pigeons, which may play a role in parasite dynamics within ecosystems. This study is the first report of H. propus infestation with molecular characterization in wood pigeons in Türkiye and it is believed that this study will be useful to scientists and hunters interested in the subject.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24750263.2025.2467852Hypodectes propushypopusmiteacariwood pigeons
spellingShingle C. Ceylan
M. A. Selçuk
O. Ceylan
Hypodectes propus (Nitzsch, 1861) (Acarina: Hypoderatidae) in common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Columbidae): the first record in Türkiye
The European Zoological Journal
Hypodectes propus
hypopus
mite
acari
wood pigeons
title Hypodectes propus (Nitzsch, 1861) (Acarina: Hypoderatidae) in common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Columbidae): the first record in Türkiye
title_full Hypodectes propus (Nitzsch, 1861) (Acarina: Hypoderatidae) in common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Columbidae): the first record in Türkiye
title_fullStr Hypodectes propus (Nitzsch, 1861) (Acarina: Hypoderatidae) in common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Columbidae): the first record in Türkiye
title_full_unstemmed Hypodectes propus (Nitzsch, 1861) (Acarina: Hypoderatidae) in common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Columbidae): the first record in Türkiye
title_short Hypodectes propus (Nitzsch, 1861) (Acarina: Hypoderatidae) in common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Columbidae): the first record in Türkiye
title_sort hypodectes propus nitzsch 1861 acarina hypoderatidae in common wood pigeons columba palumbus linnaeus 1758 aves columbidae the first record in turkiye
topic Hypodectes propus
hypopus
mite
acari
wood pigeons
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/24750263.2025.2467852
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