REMARKS ON TWO CHEWING LOUSE SPECIES (PHTHIRAPTERA: AMBLYCERA) COLLECTED FROM THE INDIVIDUALS OF A SAND MARTIN - RIPARIA RIPARIA (L.) COLONY OF SOUTHERN ROMANIA COSTICÃ ADAM, GABRIEL CHIªAMERA Abstract. The results of our study on parasite chewing lice in some members of a Sand Martin colony from southern Romania are presented. Two chewing louse species were identified: Machaerilaemus clayae (Balát, 1966) and Myrsidea latifrons (Carriker & Shull, 1910), representing new reports for the Romanian entomological fauna. Chewing louse prevalence in the studied birds was of 35%. M. clayae occurs sporadically in the members of this colony. The prevalence of M. latifrons was of 33.33%, and the mean intensity, of 1.95, this parasite species being in a full process of expansions in the members of this colony. Résumé. On présente les résultats de notre étude sur les mallophages parasites des quelques membres d’une colonie d’Hirondelle de rivage dans le sud de Roumanie. On identifie deux espèces de mallophages: Machaerilaemus clayae (Balát, 1966) et Myrsidea latifrons (Carriker & Shull, 1910), représentant des nouvelles mentions pour la faune entomologique roumaine. La prédominance des mallophages sur les oiseaux étudiés était de 35%. M. clayae se rencontre sporadiquement sur les membres de cette colonie. La prédominance de M. latifrons était de 33,33%, et l’intensité moyenne, de 1,95, ce parasite étant dans un plein processus d’expansion parmi les membres de cette colonie. Key words: Phthiraptera, Machaerilaemus clayae, Myrsidea latifrons, Sand Martin, Riparia riparia, Romania. For the time being, data on the parasite chewing lice in the Sand Martin, Riparia riparia (L.) (Passeriformes: Hirundinidae) in the Romanian avifauna were not published. But data on some species collected from other Romanian Hirundinidae were published, as follows: Bechet (1961, 1962), Negru (1958) and Rékási & Kiss (1980, 1994, 1997) offer data on some chewing louse species collected from Hirundo rustica, and Adam & Sándor (2005), Bechet (1961, 1962) and Negru (1959) on those collected from Delichon urbica. At present, in Romania, no kind of studies of statistical analysis were made on the distribution of some chewing louse species in the members of some certain bird colonies. Petrescu & Adam (2001) give data on the chewing louse collected from numerous individuals of Merops apiaster from some colonies from South and South-East Romania, but they did not make a statistical analysis of the distribution of these chewing lice in the members of the respective colony. MATERIAL AND METHOD Our material was collected on 31st of May, 13th an 21st of June 2005. The studied birds belonged to a Sand Matin colony from the bank of Sabar River, near locality Câmpurelu (Giurgiu County) from South Romania (Fig. 1). The size of this English translation by Mihaela Barcan Achim. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle «Grigore Antipa» Vol. XLIX pp. 129–143 © Octobre 2006