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A morphological study of the fine structure of the spores of Minchinia chitonis, a haplosporidian parasite of the chiton, Lepidochitona dnereus, is described. The spores contained a single nucleus, mitochondria, haplosporosomes, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and a large spherule (presumed Golgi apparatus). The spore wall was discontinuous at the spherule end, forming an opening covered by a lid which rested on a circumscribed flange. The flange of the spore wall and the lid were continuous in only one area which served as a hinge. The entire spore was encapsulated by epispore cytoplasm bounded by a strengthened membrane and extended to form 2 long projections, one at either end.

Collisions between wildlife and aircraft are a serious and growing threat to aviation safety. Understanding the frequency of these collisions, the identity of species involved, and the potential damage that can be inflicted on to aircraft aid mitigation efforts by airfield managers. A record of all animal carcasses recovered from Dublin International Airport, Ireland’s largest civil aviation airport, has been maintained since 1990 where strikes with the endemic Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus), a protected subspecies of mountain hare, are of particular concern despite substantial management efforts from the airfield authority. The first strike event with a hare was recorded in 1997, and strike events have substantially increased since then, with a sharp increase recorded in 2011. Over a 30-year period, a total of 320 strike events with the Irish hare have been recorded at the airfield. To date, no strike event with a hare has resulted in damage to an aircraft. However, carcasses can present as a major attraction to avian scavenger species in addition to posing as a risk of causing foreign object damage in the event of an undetected carcass. Hare strikes are discussed in the context of the rate of civil aircraft movements, possible direct and indirect damage to aircraft, and airfield wildlife hazard management. Here, we demonstrate that not only are strike events increasing by 14% on an annual basis, but that the kinetic energy of such an event has the potential to cause significant damage to an aircraft.

1. The number of reported collisions (i.e. strikes) between aircraft and wildlife is increasing globally, with consequences for personnel and passenger safety as well as for industry economics. These are important considerations for airport operators that are obliged to mitigate wildlife hazards at airfields. Incidents involving mammals account for approximately 3-10% of all recorded strikes. However, relatively little research has been conducted on mammal strikes with aircraft outside of the USA. 2. We collate mammal strike data from six major national aviation authorities and a global aircraft database and review the available scientific and grey literature. We aim to identify which mammal families are involved in strike events and how widespread the issue is on a global scale. We also aim to demonstrate the importance of consistently recording strike instances in national databases. 3. We identified 40 families that were involved in strike events in 47 countries.Reported mammal strike events have been increasing by up to 68% annually. Chiroptera (4 families) accounted for the greatest proportion of strikes in Australia; leporids and canids in Canada, Germany and the UK; and Chiroptera (5 families) and cervids in the USA. More mammals were struck during the landing phase of an aircraft's rotation than any other phase. Circa-diel strike risk was greatest at dusk and circa-annum strike risk was greatest during late summer, with some international variation. The total estimated cost of damage resulting from reported mammal strikes exceeded US$103 million in the USA alone, over 30 years. 4. Mammal strikes represent a substantial risk in airfield environments. Monitoring of existing wild mammal populations is required to understand temporal trends in presence, abundance, and activity patterns and to inform management decisions. Increased and accurate reporting of strike events globally is needed to inform Wildlife Hazard Management Plans and support effective strike mitigation. RESUMÉ EN FRANÇAIS 1. La fréquence des collisions entre avions et animaux sauvages connait une augmentation constante à travers le monde, entrainant des conséquences pour la sécurité du personnel et des passagers ainsi que pour l'économie de l'industrie aéronautique. Il s'agit d'une considération importante pour les exploitants d'aéroports qui sont tenus d'atténuer les risques potentiels liés à la faune Mammal Review ISSN 0305-1838 Mots clés aerodrome, atténuation des collisions, avion, collision de mammifères, collisions avec la faune, conflit homme-faune, prévention du risque animalier bs_bs_banner 421

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