Phylogenetic relationships in the louse genus Penenirmus based on nuclear (EF-l alpha) and mitochondrial (COI) DNA sequences

Ischnoceran lice in genus Penenirmus are parasites of birds in orders Picif ormes and Passeriformes. No comprehensive revision of this genus has been p ublished, but a few host-based revisions have been done. Here we present a phylogenetic analysis of Penenirmus based on nuclear (elongation factor-1 a lpha) and mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) gene sequences. Sequences fr om portions of both these genes provide a well resolved tree that is relati vely stable across methods of analysis and to bootstrap resampling. Some as pects of the Penenirmus phylogeny reflect the phylogeny of their avian host s. We identified monophyly of a group of Penenirmus species occurring on Pa sseriformes as well as monophyly of a group containing species sometimes pl aced in a genus Picophilopterus. Species of Penenirmus occurring on Old Wor ld barbets fall in several positions at the base of the tree, suggesting th at other lineages of Penenirmus may be derived from those occurring on Old World barbets.