Western Palaearctic and Ethiopian species of Skrjabinoclava (Nematoda: Acuarioidea) in Icelandic shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes) en route to breed in the New World and Greenland

Abstract

Previous studies suggested that the unusual diversity of Skrjabinoclava spp. in New World charadriiforms is related to differences in the marine wintering and staging areas of the hosts where transmission occurs, foraging behaviour, food preferences, and the distribution of intermediate hosts. It was predicted that shorebirds in other regions of the world would have unique species of Skrjabinoclava, based on different wintering and staging areas. To test this hypothesis, shorebirds migrating to Greenland and the eastern Canadian Arctic from western Europe and Africa were collected in Iceland. Examination of these birds revealed seven species of Skrjabinoclava, six of them new: S. sealyi n.sp. in Charadrius hiaticula hiaticula; S. albae n.sp. and S. vogurensis n.sp. in Calidris alba; S. snorrasoni n.sp. in Numenius phaeopus phaeopus; S. kristjani n.sp. in Arenaria interpres; S. skulasoni n.sp. and S. aculeata in Calidris alpina schinzii. It was possible to trace transmission of some species to coastal staging and wintering areas in the United Kingdom and West Africa.