Infestazione da phthiraptera nell’avifauna italiana

The present work intend to expose the results of a 9 year long parasitological survey on wild avian fauna. The main goal is to update the checklist of the Italian fauna for the Phthiraptera order with the fi rst signalement of Myrsidea quadrimaculata in Italy. Moreover in this publication we try to explain the differences found in prevalence from species specifi c and generalist parasites. In the meta-population studied it seems that generalist lice have a greater chance to colonize a single species. Some example are presented as a validation of this theory (Streptopelia decaocto and Parus major) and the example of Turdus merula as a exception to this paradigm. Lastly we show the poor parasitological situation of Erithacus rubecula in Italy.