Forficuloecus pezopori, Martin, Keatley & Ash, 2024

Martin, Storm Blas, Keatley, Sarah, Wallace, Alisa, Vaughan-Higgins, Rebecca J. & Ash, Amanda, 2024, A critically co-endangered feather louse Forficuloecus pezopori n. sp. (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) detected through conservation intervention for the western ground parrot Pezoporus flaviventris (Psittaculidae), International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 24 (100931), pp. 100931-100931 : 100931-

4.3. Endangerment and outlook for Forficuloecus pezopori

Presuming F. pezopori is specific to P. flaviventris , it is therefore co-endangered and faces at least the same threat of extinction as its host. Indeed, we argue that it is likely more imperilled. Parasites are typically overdispersed among host individuals, and prevalence, distribution and longevity of an oioxenous parasite species at most match the host population/individual, but are usually lesser, and frequently substantially so. Data for F. pezopori are imperfect, but our modest sampling suggests prevalence is less than 50%. Improving estimates of prevalence and abundance for F. pezopori is not necessary, feasible or advisable: the host population is already monitored and can be used as a proxy, whereas direct estimates would require trapping and handling wild host individuals and likely lethal sampling of the lice, thereby negatively impacting both parasite and host populations. However, any handling of western ground parrots as part of ongoing field monitoring should consider incorporating a check for presence of F. pezopori if practical.

Persistence of the western ground parrot is likely reliant on conservation intervention ( Burbidge et al., 2016, 2018), and persistence of F. pezopori is therefore also dependent on the interventions for its host. Recently, the first wild-to-wild translocation of P. flaviventris was trialled, with seven individuals ( Stokes et al., 2021); it is not known whether any of those carried F. pezopori . The most important benefit of successful establishment of a second population of P. flaviventris is redundancy and this can be conferred to F. pezopori if included on translocated hosts. Philopterid lice seemingly do not typically cause substantial harm to healthy, wild host individuals, nor typically negatively impact wild host populations. Thus, we suggest that western ground parrots involved in wild-to-wild translocations ought to be checked but not treated for lice. Management of lice for individual parrots may be necessary in captive settings, such as the breeding program for P. flaviventris at Perth Zoo. However, care and management plans should consider that F. pezopori also faces imminent extinction, and infestations on captive birds therefore present an opportunity for dual host-parasite conservation.