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The quill mite fauna of the family Syringophilidae Lavoipierre, 1953 (Acariformes: Prostigmata) associated with parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) are reviewed. Seven new species are described: Pipicobia cyclopsitta Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Double-Eyed Fig-Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma in Papua New Guinea; P. fuscata Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Dusky Lory Pseudeos fuscata in Papua New Guinea; P. tahitiana Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana in Tahiti (French Polynesia); P. malherbi Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Malherbe's Parakeet Cyanoramphus malherbi in New Zealand; Lawrencipicobia eclectus Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus in Papua New Guinea; Neoaulobia pseudeos Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Dusky Lory Pseudeos fuscata in Papua New Guinea; and N. Skorackii Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius in Australia.

While birds-of-paradise (Passeriformes: Paradisaeidae) are a well-known group of birds, our understanding of their parasites is still limited. This study reports on parasitic quill mites of the subfamily Picobiinae (Acariformes: Syringophilidae), which have never before been recorded on this group of birds. The mite specimens presented in this paper were collected from birds-of-paradise that had been captured in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia in the years 1910–1911 and are now deposited in the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Munich, Germany. Two syringophilid species are described as new to science: (i) Picobia frankei sp. n. from the magnificent riflebird Lophorina magnifica, the glossy-mantled manucode Manucodia ater, and the crinkle-collared manucode Manucodia chalybatus, and (ii) Gunabopicobia garylarsoni sp. n. from the twelve-wired bird-of-paradise Seleucidis melanoleucus and the lesser bird-of-paradise Paradisaea minor. We hypothesise that the presence of both picobiine species on phylogenetically unrelated paradisaeids may be caused by the sexual behaviour of these birds, where interspecific copulations may play a role in the switching of parasites between non-closely related host species.

New Guinea is a biologically diverse island, with a unique geologic history and topography that has likely played a role in the evolution of species. Few island-wide studies, however, have examined the phylogeographic history of lowland species. The objective of this study was to examine patterns of phylogeographic variation of a common and widespread New Guinean bird species (Colluricincla megarhyncha). Specifically, we test the mechanisms hypothesized to cause geographic and genetic variation (e.g., vicariance, isolation by distance and founder-effect with dispersal). To accomplish this, we surveyed three regions of the mitochondrial genome and a nuclear intron and assessed differences among 23 of the 30 described subspecies from throughout their range. We found support for eight highly divergent lineages within C. megarhyncha. Genetic lineages were found within continuous lowland habitat or on smaller islands, but all individuals within clades were not necessarily structured by predicted biogeographic barriers. There was some evidence of isolation by distance and potential founder-effects. Mitochondrial DNA sequence divergence among lineages was at a level often observed among different species or even genera of birds (5-11%), suggesting lineages within regions have been isolated for long periods of time. When topographical barriers were associated with divergence patterns, the estimated divergence date for the clade coincided with the estimated time of barrier formation. We also found that dispersal distance and range size are positively correlated across lineages. Evidence from this research suggests that different phylogeographic mechanisms concurrently structure lineages of C. megarhyncha and are not mutually exclusive. These lineages are a result of evolutionary forces acting at different temporal and spatial scales concordant with New Guinea's geological history.

Sindbis virus (SINV) is a widely dispersed mosquito-borne alphavirus. Reports of Sindbis disease are largely restricted to northern Europe and South Africa. SINV is frequently sampled in Australian mosquito-based arbovirus surveillance programs, but human disease has rarely been reported. Molecular epidemiological studies have characterized six SINV genotypes (G1–G6) based on E2 gene phylogenies, mostly comprising viruses derived from the African–European zoogeographical region and with limited representation of Australasian SINV. In this study, we conducted whole genome sequencing of 66 SINV isolates sampled between 1960 and 2014 from countries of the Australasian region: Australia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. G2 viruses were the most frequently and widely sampled, with three distinct sub-lineages defined. No new G6 SINV were identified, confirming geographic restriction of these viruses to south-western Australia. Comparison with global SINV characterized large-scale nucleotide and amino acid sequence divergence between African–European G1 viruses and viruses that circulate in Australasia (G2 and G3) of up to 26.83% and 14.55%, respectively, divergence that is sufficient for G2/G3 species demarcation. We propose G2 and G3 are collectively a single distinct alphavirus species that we name Argyle virus, supported by the inapparent or mild disease phenotype and the higher evolutionary rate compared with G1. Similarly, we propose G6, with 24.7% and 12.61% nucleotide and amino acid sequence divergence, is a distinct alphavirus species that we name Thomson’s Lake virus.

The birds-of-paradise (Aves: Paradisaeidae) are a quintessential example of elaborate ornamental diversification among animals. Ornamental evolution in the birds-of-paradise is exemplified by the presence of a highly integrated courtship phenotype, which is the whole package of plumage ornaments, behaviors and sounds that each species uses during courtship. Characterizing a species’ courtship phenotype is therefore a key part of evolutionary and taxonomic investigation in the group. With its unprecedented transmogrification from bird-like form into something abstract and otherworldly, the courtship phenotype of the Superb Bird-of-Paradise, Lophorina superba, is one of the most remarkable of all. Recent research by Irestedt et al. (2017) suggests that the genus Lophorina is not a single species but is likely a complex of three allopatric species spanning the island of New Guinea: L. niedda in the Bird’s Head Peninsula of the west, L. superba throughout the central cordillera and L. minor in the Papuan Peninsula of the east. Of these, niedda is the most phenotypically divergent with plumage traits hypothesized to possibly produce differences in ornamental appearance during display. However, the whole courtship phenotype of niedda has not been documented and so the actual extent of differences in ornamental appearance during courtship remain unknown. Here we analyze the first audiovisual recordings of niedda and compare its courtship phenotype with superba to test the hypothesis of potential differences in ornamental appearance . Our main goals are to: (1) provide the first description of the courtship phenotype of niedda in the wild, (2) determine if and how the niedda courtship phenotype differs from superba and (3) evaluate any uncovered differences in light of niedda’s newly recognized species status. Our secondary goal is to provide a more thorough characterization of courtship phenotype diversity within the genus Lophorina to facilitate future comparative study within the genus and family . Results show that the niedda courtship phenotype differs substantially from superba in numerous aspects of ornamental appearance, display behavior and sound. We highlight six key differences and conclude that the new species status of niedda is corroborated by the distinctly differentiated ornamental features documented here . With full species status, niedda becomes the fourth endemic bird-of-paradise to the Bird’s Head region of Indonesian New Guinea (i.e., the Vogelkop Peninsula), a fact that underscores the importance of this region as a center of endemic biodiversity worthy of enhanced conservation protection.

The genus Sarahcultrix n. gen. (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) is described and illustrated based on 2 new species of chewing lice from New Guinean birds in the genus Peltops Wagler, 1829 (Passeriformes: Artamidae). These species are: Sarahcultrix ypsilophora n. sp. ex Peltops montanus Stresemann, 1921, and Sarahcultrix sphenura n. sp. ex Peltops blainvillii (Garnot, 1827).

Rainbowfish of the genus Melanotaenia are highly endemic freshwater fishes found only in Australia and New Guinea. Although widespread, most species have narrow geographic ranges, making them particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Currently, 43 described (and many undescribed) Melanotaenia species occur in the Bird’s Head and Bird’s Neck region of Western New Guinea, 29 of which are currently classified as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, including two that may be extinct in the wild. We generated a high-spatial-resolution baseline land cover classification of rainbowfish habitats using low-cloud Planet Labs quarterly basemap mosaics and compared it with a moderate-resolution Landsat 8 OLI-derived classification to assess how spatial resolution influences land cover classification. Using the full 40-year Landsat archive, we quantified decadal land cover change around species type localities and identified localized disturbance events that may affect rainbowfish habitats. For species described from large rivers and lakes, changes in water-body extent over time were quantified. Deforestation varied widely, ranging from little or no detectable change in remote, difficult-to-access locations (e.g., M. misoolensis, M. sneideri), to landscapes heavily modified by logging, urbanization, mining, and agriculture (e.g., M. boesemani, M. arfakensis). Around the type localities, from the high-resolution imagery, we detected ~2939 ha of cleared land, whereas from the Landsat classification we identified only 31 ha of clearing, indicating that most of the fine-scale deforestation was not resolved at the Landsat scale. Time-sequence analyses indicate that over one-third of type localities experienced one or more localized disturbance events over the last 40 years. Land cover change in this region is highly dynamic and differs from commonly studied frontier deforestation patterns elsewhere. It also underscores a critical conservation challenge where rainbowfish species are being discovered in landscapes that are simultaneously undergoing rapid, spatially heterogeneous change. The same infrastructure that enables biological exploration also accelerates habitat modification. These changes threaten the persistence of highly endemic rainbowfish and underscore the value of multi-scale spatial and temporal remote sensing approaches for assessing habitat change in remote, biodiverse regions. The framework presented here is also broadly applicable to other narrowly distributed endemic taxa.

Linking morphological studies with molecular phylogeny is important to understanding cryptic speciation and the evolution of host-parasite relationships. Haemosporidian parasites of the Australo-Papuan bird family Artamidae are relatively unstudied. Only one parasite species from the subfamily Cracticinae has been described, and this was based solely on morphological description. This is despite many Cracticinae species being easily observed and abundant over large ranges and in close proximity to human populations. We used morphological and molecular methods to describe a new Haemoproteus species (H. bukaka sp. nov.) from an endemic Butcherbird host (Cracticus louisiadensis) in a relatively unstudied insular area of high avian endemism (Papua New Guinea’s Louisiade Archipelago). Phylogenetic reconstructions using parasite cyt-b gene sequences placed the proposed Haemoproteus bukaka sp. nov. close to other host-specialist Haemoproteus species that infect meliphagid honeyeater hosts in the region, e.g. H. ptilotis. Distinct morphological characters of this haemosporidian include macrogametocytes with characteristic large vacuoles opposing a subterminal nucleus on the host cell envelope. Among 27 sampled individuals, prevalence of H. bukaka sp.nov. was high (74 % infection rate) but strongly variable across four islands in the archipelago (ranging from 0 to 100 % prevalence). Parasitaemia levels were low across all infected individuals (0.1–0.6 %). We suspect host density may play a role in maintaining high prevalence given the close proximity and similar physical environments across islands. The findings are discussed in the context of the host genus Cracticus and theory relating to parasite-host evolution and its conservation implications in Papua New Guinea.

Bird species in the genus Pitohui are chemically defended by a potent neurotoxic alkaloid in their skin and feathers. The two most toxic pitohui species, the hooded pitohui (Pitohui dichrous) and the variable pitohui (Pitohui kirhocephalus), are sometimes strikingly patterned and, in certain portions of their geographical ranges, both species share a nearly identical colour pattern, whereas in other areas they do not. Müllerian mimicry (the mutual resemblance of two chemically defended prey species) is common in some other animal groups and Pitohui birds have been suggested as one of the most likely cases in birds. Here, we examine pitohui plumage evolution in the context of a well-supported molecular phylogeny and use a maximum likelihood approach to test for convergent evolution in coloration. We show that the 'mimetic' phenotype is ancestral to both species and that the resemblance in most races is better explained by a shared ancestry. One large clade of P. kirhocephalus lost this mimetic phenotype early in their evolution and one race nested deep within this clade appears to have re-evolved this phenotype. These latter findings are consistent with the hypothesis that Müllerian mimicry is driving the evolution for a similar colour pattern between P. dichrous, but only in this one clade of P. kirhocephalus