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Based on a comprehensive study of museum specimens, eight new species of sucking lice of the genus Hoplopleura Enderlein, 1904 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), are described from six genera of Australian Old Endemic rodents: Conilurus Ogilby, 1838 (Rodentia: Muridae), Leggadina Thomas, 1910 (Rodentia: Muridae), Leporillus Thomas, 1906 (Rodentia: Muridae), Mesembriomys Palmer, 1906 (Rodentia: Muridae), Pogonomys Milne-Edwards, 1877 (Rodentia: Muridae), and Xeromys Thomas, 1889 (Rodentia: Muridae). The description of these new species increases the number of sucking louse species from endemic Australian rodents from 13 to 21 and extends the records of sucking lice to all of the 14 genera of endemic rodents in Australia. Our results show that sucking lice are much more diverse among rodents in Australia than previously known. Furthermore, the Australian Hoplopleura species are host specific—each Hoplopleura species, including the eight new species described in the present study, parasitizes only a single host species, except Hoplopleura irritans Kuhn and Ludwig, 1967 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae) and Hoplopleura melomydis Weaver, 2017 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), each of which is found on two host species. An updated dichotomous key for identifying Australian Hoplopleura species is included.

Sugarcane farmers can utilise a soil conservation technique called green cane trash blanketing, a form of mulching that can increase plant productivity through a number of channels, e.g., via altering soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics, and influence soil arthropod assemblages. Predatory mites (Mesostigmata) are important components of soil communities because they can control populations of other soil-dwelling pest species. Our aim was to characterise mulch-influenced predatory Mesostigmata community assemblages in sugarcane soils in Queensland, Australia. We found that application of a mulch layer significantly increased the abundance of Mesostigmata, and oribatid mites and collembolans, in soils. Furthermore, we observed that the assemblages of Mesostigmata in soil covered by mulch were significantly different to those in bare soil; and the assemblages of Mesostigmata changed over time. The assemblages of Mesostigmata, but not Oribatida or collembolans, were significantly different in soil under mulch depending on whether the mulch was freshly laid, or decomposing. Our results show that the use of mulch, specifically the green cane trash blanket, can increase overall microarthropod abundance including Mesostigmata. This is likely due to increased habitat complexity and changing resource availability.

Background The sucking louse fauna of endemic Australian rodents has been under-studied for decades. Sixty-five species of native rodents have been recorded in Australia. However, only 11 species of lice have been reported from 11 species of endemic Australian rodents. Results We describe a new species of sucking louse, Hoplopleura villosissima Wang (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), and report a new host record of the spiny rat louse, Polyplax spinulosa Burmeister, 1839 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Polyplacidae), from the long-haired rat, Rattus villosissimus Waite (Rodentia: Muridae), which is endemic to Australia. Conclusions This study is the first record of sucking louse from R. villosissimus and the first record of a species of Polyplax Enderlein, 1904 from an endemic Australian rodent. This study brings the total number of sucking louse species in endemic Australian rodents from 11 to 13. Previously, only the introduced brown rat, Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout and the black rat, Rattus rattus Linnaeus were recorded as the hosts of P. spinulosa in Australia. Because R. villosissimus overlaps with R. rattus in distribution but not with R. norvegicus, we propose that P. spinulosa transferred to R. villosissimus from R. rattus.

Bandicoots are omnivorous marsupials of the order Peramelemorphia. Conservation concerns and their unique biological characteristics suggest peramelomorphs are worthy research subjects, but knowledge of their genetics and immunology has lagged behind that of other high-profile marsupials. Here, we characterise the transcriptome of the long-nose bandicoot (Perameles nasuta), the first high-throughput data set from any peramelomorph. We investigate the immune gene repertoire of the bandicoot, with a focus on key immune gene families, and compare to previously characterised marsupial and mammalian species. We find that the immune gene complement in bandicoot is often conserved with respect to other marsupials; however, the diversity of expressed transcripts in several key families, such as major histocompatibility complex, T cell receptor μ and natural killer cell receptors, appears greater in the bandicoot than other Australian marsupials, including devil and koala. This transcriptome is an important first step for future studies of bandicoots and the bilby, allowing for population level analysis and construction of bandicoot-specific immunological reagents and assays. Such studies will be critical to understanding the immunology and physiology of Peramelemorphia and to inform the conservation of these unique marsupials.

Bryozoans are aquatic animals that form colonies of connected individuals. They take a variety of forms: some are bushy and moss-like, some are flat and encrusting and others resemble lace. Bryozoans are mostly marine, with species found in all oceans from sublittoral to abyssal depths, but freshwater species also exist. Some bryozoans are of concern as marine-fouling organisms and invasive species, while others show promise as sources of anticancer, antiviral and antifouling substances. Written by experts in the field, Australian Bryozoa Volume 1: Biology, Ecology and Natural History is the first of two volumes describing Australia’s 1200 known species of bryozoans, the richest diversity of bryozoans of any country in the world. It contains chapters on the discovery of bryozoans, their morphology, classification and fossil history, their roles in biosecurity and marine benthic environments, and potential uses in biotechnology and ocean acidification. It provides an authoritative reference for biology students, academics and others interested in marine biology.

Bryozoans are aquatic animals that form colonies of connected individuals. They take a variety of forms: some are bushy and moss-like, some are flat and encrusting and others resemble lace. Bryozoans are mostly marine, with species found in all oceans from sublittoral to abyssal depths, but freshwater species also exist. Some bryozoans are of concern as marine-fouling organisms and invasive species, while others show promise as sources of anticancer, antiviral and antifouling substances. Written by experts in the field, Australian Bryozoa Volume 2: Taxonomy of Australian Families is the second of two volumes describing Australia’s 1200 known species of bryozoans, the richest diversity of bryozoans of any country in the world. It contains detailed taxonomic data and illustrated family-level treatments, which can be used to identify specimens. It provides an authoritative reference for biology students, academics and others interested in marine biology.

Thirty one genera, comprising 58 named species, 15 undetermined species and nine species known only as cystacanths from paratenic fish hosts were found infesting 144 marine, esturine and freshwater species of fish from Australian and Australian Antarctic waters. Host habitats are given and the distribution and records of the acanthocephalans are given. A key to these parasites at the generic level is provided.

Acanthocephalan parasites, Serrasentis sagittifer, from a shark, Carcharhinus sorrah, and a species of Pararhadinorhynchus from a ray, Himantura granulata, are reported from Queensland, Australia. The collection of acanthocephalans from cartilaginous fish (elasmobranchs) as either occasional or definitive hosts is unusual, but not unknown. In this instance, the finding of S. sagittifer is considered an occasional infection. The life cycle of Pararhadinorhynchus sp., 1 of 4 species known only from elasmobranch hosts, is equivocal, as putative bony fish hosts are unknown. Of the other 3 species, only Megapriapus ungriai has an elasmobranch acknowledged as the definitive host.

We describe a new species of acanthocephalan from the reef fish Kyphosus bigibbus Lacepede, Kyphosus sydneyanus (Gunther), and Kyphosus vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimardi) from Heron Island, Queensland; Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia; and Moorea, French Polynesia, respectively. Filisoma filiformis n. sp. is differentiated primarily from other species by its long, slender proboscis, with 16–18 longitudinal rows of 42–48 hooks. The wide distribution and multiple host species of F. filiformis suggest that it could be found in other localities around the Indo-Pacific region where kyphosid fish occur. The differing patterns of host range and geographic distribution within the genus Filisoma are discussed.

Background Members of the order Chlamydiales are known for their potential as human and veterinary bacterial pathogens. Despite this recognition, epidemiological factors such as routes of transmission are yet to be fully defined. Ticks are well known vectors for many other infections with several reports recently describing the presence of bacteria in the order Chlamydiales in these arthropods. Australian wildlife are hosts to an extensive range of tick species. Evidence is also growing that the marsupial hosts these ticks parasitise can also be infected by a number of bacteria in the order Chlamydiales, with at least one species, Chlamydia pecorum, posing a significant conservation threat. In the current study, we investigated the presence and identity of Chlamydiales in 438 ixodid ticks parasitizing wildlife in Australia by screening with a pan-Chlamydiales specific targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Results Pan-Chlamydiales specific PCR assays confirmed the common presence of Chlamydiales in Australian ticks parasitising a range of native wildlife. Interestingly, we did not detect any Chlamydiaceae, including C. pecorum, the ubiquitous pathogen of the koala. Instead, the Chlamydiales diversity that could be resolved indicated that Australian ticks carry at least six novel Chlamydiales genotypes. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences (663 bp) of these novel Chlamydiales suggests that three of these genotypes are associated with the Simkaniaceae and putatively belong to three distinct novel strains of Fritschea spp. and three genotypes are related to the “Ca. Rhabdochlamydiaceae” and putatively belong to a novel genus, Rhabdochlamydia species and strain, respectively. Conclusions Sequence results suggest Australian wildlife ticks harbour a range of unique Chlamydiales bacteria that belong to families previously identified in a range of arthropod species. The results of this work also suggest that it is unlikely that arthropods act as vectors of pathogenic members of the family Chlamydiaceae, including C. pecorum, in Australian wildlife. The biology of novel Chlamydiales identified in arthropods remain unknown. The pathogenic role of the novel Chlamydiales identified in this study and the role that ticks may play in their transmission needs to be explored further. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-1994-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The parasite fauna of many Australian rodents is poorly known. The ectoparasite and helminth faunas of Pseudomys delicatulus, Pseudomys desertor, Pseudomys gracilicaudatus, and Pseudomys hermannsburgensis were determined and compared. In total, 12 species of arthropods, 2 cestodes, and 13 nematodes were found. Species richness of parasites was highest in P. hermannsburgensis and lowest in P. desertor. Despite the sampling effort, the number of parasite species discovered did not reach an asymptote for any of the host species, indicating that the full parasite fauna was not examined. Helminth species richness was highest in the insectivorous P. hermannsburgensis and lower in the obligate herbivores. The structure of parasite component communities was influenced by the social structure of the host species, not surprisingly, with the most highly social species having the highest richness of parasites. Habitat preferences also provided contrast between the helminth component communities, with heligmonellid nematodes occurring in damp woodlands and dominating the parasite fauna of P. gracilicaudatus. Oxyurid nematodes dominated the component communities of the 3 other species, all of which inhabit drier habitats.

Although the implications of climate change for public health continue to be elucidated, we still require much work to guide the development of a comprehensive strategy to underpin the adaptation of the health system. Adaptation will be an evolving process as impacts emerge. The authors aim is to focus on the responses of the Australian health system to health risks from climate change, and in particular how best to prepare health services for predicted health risks from heat waves, bushfires, infectious diseases, diminished air quality, and the mental health impacts of climate change. In addition, the authors aim to provide some general principles for health system adaptation to climate change that may be applicable beyond the Australian setting. They present some guiding principles for preparing health systems and also overview some specific preparatory activities in relation to personnel, infrastructure, and coordination. Increases in extreme weather—related events superimposed on health effects arising from a gradually changing climate will place additional burdens on the health system and challenge existing capacity. Key characteristics of a climate change—prepared health system are that it should be flexible, strategically allocated, and robust. Long-term planning will also require close collaboration with the nonhealth sectors as part of a nationwide adaptive response.

Fire is an important part of many Australian ecosystems, and determining how it affects different vegetation communities and associated fauna is of particular interest to land managers. Here, we report on a study that used sites established during a 39-year fire experiment in coastal heathland in southeastern Queensland to compare arthropod abundance and vegetation in 1.5–2.6 ha sites that were (i) long unburnt, (ii) burnt every 5 years and (iii) burnt every 3 years. We found that the abundance of ants was more than four times higher in the frequently burnt sites compared to long unburnt sits. Moreover, long unburnt sites had greater dominance of Xanthorrhoea johnsonii and Caustis recurvata, whereas burnt sites had greater cover of Lomandra filiformis, Leucopogon margarodes and Leucopogon leptospermoides. Our findings show that frequent fire can alter vegetation structure and composition, and this is matched by an increase in the relative dominance of ants in the arthropod community.

Associations between mosquito abundance and Ross River virus (RRV) and Barmah Forest virus (BFV) disease are demonstrated for the Gippsland Lakes region of eastern Victoria, Australia. Significant ...

SummarySyphacia (Syphacia) abertoni n. sp. (Nematoda: Oxyuridae) is described from the caecum of Zyzomys argurus (Thomas, 1889) (Rodentia: Muridae) from two locations in northern Australia: Mount Isa, Queensland and Coomalie Creek, Northern Territory. Syphacia abertoni is distinguished from other members of the genus by the presence of cervical alae, an elongated oval cephalic plate, size of eggs, and lengths of spicule and gubernaculum.

Three new species of the rodent louse genus Hoplopleura (Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae) are described and illustrated from Australia: H. melomydis new species from Melomys burtoni (Muridae: Hydromyini, grassland melomys) and M. capensis (Muridae: Hydromyini, Cape York melomys) from Queensland; H. notomydis new species and H. setosa new species from Notomys alexis (Muridae: Hydromyini, spinifex hopping mouse) from the Northern Territory. These new louse species are the first lice recorded from each of the three host rodent species.

There is increasing understanding, globally, that climate change will have profound and mostly harmful effects on human health. This authoritative book brings together international experts to describe both direct (such as heat waves) and indirect (such as vector-borne disease incidence) impacts of climate change, set in a broad, international, economic, political and environmental context. This unique book also expands on these issues to address a third category of potential longer-term impacts on global health: famine, population dislocation, and conflict. This lively yet scholarly resource explores these issues fully, linking them to health in urban and rural settings in developed and developing countries. The book finishes with a practical discussion of action that health professionals can yet take. [Book Synopsis]

Carrion is an ephemeral and nutrient-rich resource that attracts a diverse array of arthropods as it decomposes. Carrion-associated mites often disperse between animal carcasses using phoresy, the transport of one species by another. Yet few studies have contrasted the dynamics of mite assemblages with other insect taxa present at carrion. We examined and compared the changes in abundance, species richness and composition of mite and beetle assemblages sampled at kangaroo carcasses in a grassy eucalypt woodland at four different times over a 6-month period. We found that the majority of mites were phoretic, with the mesostigmatid genera Uroseius (Uropodidae), Macrocheles (Macrochelidae) and Parasitus (Parasitidae) the most abundant taxa (excluding astigmatid mites). Abundance and richness patterns of mites and beetles were very different, with mites reaching peak abundance and richness at weeks 6 and 12, and beetles at weeks 1 and 6. Both mites and beetles showed clear successional patterns via changes in species presence and relative abundance. Our study shows that mesostigmatid mite assemblages have a delay in peak abundance and richness relative to beetle assemblages. This suggests that differences in dispersal and reproductive traits of arthropods may contribute to the contrasting diversity dynamics of carrion arthropod communities, and further highlights the role of carrion as a driver of diversity and heterogeneity in ecosystems.

Ixodes victoriensis Nuttall, 1916, a species of tick from wombats (Vombatus ursinus) from Victoria, Australia was described based on two adult female specimens. There has been one subsequent record only, and no records of males, nymphs or larvae. Here, I present a re-description of I. victoriensis adult female, and provide a description for the male, nymph and larva. I also provide new host records from potoroos (Potorous longipes and P. tridactylus), and new location records in Victoria and Tasmania.

Pinworm nematodes of the genus Syphacia (Nemata : Oxyurida : Oxyuridae) have a global distribution, and infect the caecum of rodents. Within the Australian Bioregion, 17 species of Syphacia infect a range of rodent hosts. Pinworms are traditionally thought to have coevolutionary relationships with their hosts, but the evolution and dispersal of Australian rodents and their helminths remains unclear. This combination of factors allowed us to investigate the likely relationships of Australian Syphacia species based on phylogenetic analysis, overlaid with the ecology and relationships of host species. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis using morphological characters of the species of Syphacia from the Australian Bioregion in order to examine the relationships between species, and to investigate how host evolution and phylogeny could inform (or be informed) by parasite phylogeny. Application of the taxon pulse theory of parasite speciation by matching host species to parasites shed some light on the timing of speciation of rodent hosts. We found that species of Syphacia had reasonably close host–parasite relationships, with additional evidence for ecological fitting or host switching occurring. Evidence provided here suggests strongly that most elements of the Stockholm Paradigm are at play in structuring the relationships we observe in this pinworm–mammal system.

Three new species of Syphacia Seurat 1916 (Oxyurida: Oxyuridae) are described from rodents (Rodentia: Muridae) in Queensland, Australia. Syphacia (Syphacia) helidonensis n. sp. from Pseudomys gracilicaudatus (Gould 1845) can be distinguished from all other species by a suite of characters including an oval-shaped cephalic plate, elongated laterally with dorso-ventral constriction at the level of laterally placed amphids and cephalic papillae, lateral but not cervical alae, and a single pair of postanal papillae. Syphacia (Syphacia) boodjamullaensis n. sp. from Zyzomys argurus (Thomas, 1889) also has an oval-shaped cephalic plate, elongated laterally with dorso-ventral constriction at the level of laterally placed amphids and cephalic papillae, a single pair of postanal papillae, neither cervical nor lateral alae, and spicule 77 µm long. Syphacia (Syphacia) carnarvonensis n. sp. from Pseudomys delicatulus (Gould, 1842) with an oval-shaped cephalic plate, elongated laterally with dorso-ventral cons...

Climate change will affect human health, mostly adversely, resulting in a greater burden on the health care system, in addition to any other coexistent increases in demand (e.g. from Australia’s increasingly ageing population). Understanding the extent to which health is likely to be affected by climate change will enable policy makers and practitioners to prepare for changing demands on the health care system. This will require prioritisation of key research questions and building research capacity in the field. There is an urgent need to better understand the implications of climate change for the distribution and prevalence of diseases, disaster preparedness and multidisciplinary service planning. Research is needed to understand the relationship of climate change to health promotion, policy evaluation and strategic financing of health services. Training of health care professionals about climate change and its effects will also be important in meeting long-term workforce demands.

In this study, we present an analysis of the ecto- and endoparasite fauna of Zyzomys argurus from Queensland and the Northern Territory. The finding of the louse Hoplopleura zyzomydis, and the nematodes Syphacia abertoni and S. boodjamullaensis, together with the new host records for Nippostrongylus sp., Aspiculuris tetraptera and Raillietina sp., have increased the number of parasites known from Z. argurus from 18 to 24, and provide the first records of parasites from Z. argurus from central and eastern Australia. Analysis of the assemblage of parasites found from Z. argurus appears to indicate that, while intraspecific transmission of parasites is relatively common, host-switching from other species is not. The ecology of Z. argurus appears to be the main determinant of its depauperate parasite fauna.

Global climate change is progressing and health impacts have been observed in a number of countries, including Australia. The main health impacts will be due to direct heat exposure, extreme weather, air pollution, reduced local food production, food- and vectorborne infectious diseases and mental stress. The issue is one of major public health importance. Adaptation to reduce the effects of climate change involves many different sectors to minimise negative health outcomes. Wide-scale mitigation is also required, in order to reduce the effects of climate change. In addition, future urban design must be modified to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. Strategies for mitigation and adaptation can create co-benefits for both individual and community health, by reducing non-climate-related health hazard exposures and by encouraging health promoting behaviours and lifestyles.

Syphacia ( Syphacia ) brevicaudata sp. nov. is described from the desert rodents Pseudomys desertor Troughton, 1936 and P. hermannsburgensis (Waite, 1896); Syphacia ( Syphacia ) pseudomyos sp. nov. is described from P. hermannsburgensis from western Queensland and central Northern Territory, Australia. Syphacia ( Syphacia ) brevicaudata is distinguished from all other species of Syphacia by having a suite of characters including an oval, dorsally and ventrally constricted cephalic plate, no cervical alae, a relatively short tail and two pairs of post-anal papillae. Syphacia ( Syphacia ) pseudomyos is distinguished from all other species of Syphacia by having a suite of characters including an oval, dorsally and ventrally constricted cephalic plate, no cervical or lateral alae, one pair of post-anal papillae, a relatively short tail and large eggs. Females of a putative species were distinct due to the lack of a cephalic plate but had other characters consistent with the genus. Two other putative species of Syphacia , females only, also collected from P. hermannsburgensis and having oval dorsally and ventrally constricted cephalic plates, could be distinguished from their congeners by a combination of characters including the presence of cervical alae, Syphacia sp. 2, and a protruding vulva, Syphacia sp. 3. These new species are the first records of oxyurid nematodes from the genus Pseudomys , and from Australian arid-zone rodents.

A new species of sucking louse, Hoplopleura zyzomydis, is described and illustrated from the common Australian rock rat Zyzomys argurus (Thomas, 1889) (Rodentia: Muridae), collected in northwest Queensland, Australia. This is the first record of a sucking louse from the genus Zyzomys, and its morphology is contrasted with other Australian Hoplopleura species. Hoplopleura zyzomydis is unique in having a combination of short dorsal principal thoracic setae and setae absent from paratergal plates 4–6. A key to the Australian species of Hoplopleura is presented.