Prevalence and population structure of lice (Phthiraptera) on the Indian Red Avadavat

Prevalences of two phthirapteran species (an ischnoceran, Brueelia amandavae, and an amblyceran, Myrsidea amandava) on 130 Red Avadavats (Amandava amandava) were 36.2 and 20.8% in the district of Rampur, India, from September to December 2004. Sample mean abundances of the two species were 3.43 and 1.53, respectively. The frequency distribution patterns of both species were aggregated. The observed distribution conformed to the expected distribution of the negative binomial model, but only in the case of M. amandava. Adults dominated over nymphs in the overall adult-to-nymph ratio. Sex ratios of both species were skewed (female biased).