New species and host association records for the Hungarian avian louse fauna (Insecta: Phthiraptera)

A recently published checklist of Hungarian louse fauna (Insecta: Phthiraptera) listed 279 species and subspecies which have been recorded in Hungary. According to that checklist several louse species still await detection in Hungary, and many of the previously reported louse species have not been found on all expected host species yet. Our faunistical survey on avian lice started in 2005 at Ócsa Bird Ringing Station, resulting hundreds of ectoparasite samples collected from over 70 bird species. Additionally, our louse collection has grown by collecting samples in other research projects focusing on various bird species, and by sampling cadavers before taxidermy in the Bird Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. As the results of a preliminary exploration of this collection, we list 20 louse species which are new to the Hungarian fauna, as well as the first Hungarian records of 17 host-parasite associations. We also found 3 louse-bird association records new for the World fauna.