Patterns of feather mite (Acariformes: Astigmata) prevalence and load in a promiscuous bird during the breeding season

IF 2 3区医学 Q3 ECOLOGY

International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife Pub Date : 2024-10-20 DOI:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.101008

Joanna Wołoszkiewicz , Jacek Dabert , Sandra Kaźmierczak , Janusz Kloskowski

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The effects of ectosymbiotic feather mites on avian host fitness and factors driving the variation in mite infestation levels, such as host mating and brood care system, are poorly understood. We investigated patterns of feather mite prevalence and abundance, and relationships between infestation and body condition in breeding Aquatic Warblers Acrocephalus paludicola, a promiscuous songbird with female-only parental care. In plumage, the dominant mite species was Trouessartia bifurcata, whose prevalence more than doubled during the breeding season, to reach 95% (95% confidence limits 71–99) during the second-brood period. Approximately 5% of birds were co-infested with Proctophyllodes cf. clavatus. While mite prevalence did not differ between sexes, mite abundance was significantly greater in Aquatic Warbler females than in males, and it increased between the first- and the second-brood period irrespective of sex. No significant relationship was found between mite prevalence or abundance and host condition expressed as mass scaled to size. However, in breeding females, this relationship could be confounded by the effects of nest-dwelling ectoparasites present in some nests but only sporadically if at all detected on adult birds; 2% of adult birds were heavily infested with the hematophagous mite Dermanyssus hirundinis (Mesostigmata). Our findings indicate that the mating system may affect symbiont variability between and within host species. The high prevalence of feather mites on adult birds at the late stage of the breeding season supports the hypothesis that promiscuous species have high infestation levels. Greater mite loads on Aquatic Warbler females than males reveal a different pattern from previously studied birds. However, we did not identify any consequences of mite infestation for the female body condition or current breeding success; hence, the apparently commensal relationship does not imply costs of female promiscuity.

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一种杂交鸟类在繁殖季节的羽毛螨（螨形目：Astigmata）流行率和负荷模式

人们对外生性羽螨对鸟类宿主健康的影响以及宿主交配和育雏系统等螨虫侵染水平变化的驱动因素知之甚少。我们研究了繁殖期水莺（Acrocephalus paludicola）羽毛螨的流行和丰度模式，以及螨患与身体状况之间的关系。在羽螨中，最主要的螨类是Trouessartia bifurcata，其流行率在繁殖季节增加了一倍多，在第二胎期间达到95%（95%置信区间为71-99）。约有 5%的鸟类同时感染了 Proctophyllodes cf. clavatus。虽然螨虫的流行率在雌雄之间没有差异，但雌性水莺的螨虫数量明显高于雄性水莺，而且螨虫数量在初潮和二潮期间增加，与性别无关。在螨的流行率或丰度与寄主条件（按体型比例表示的质量）之间没有发现明显的关系。然而，在繁殖期雌鸟中，这种关系可能会被一些巢居外寄生虫的影响所混淆，这些外寄生虫存在于一些巢中，但即使在成鸟身上发现，也只是零星存在；2%的成鸟受到食血螨Dermanyssus hirundinis（介形目）的严重侵扰。我们的研究结果表明，交配系统可能会影响宿主物种之间和宿主物种内部共生体的变异性。成鸟在繁殖季节后期羽毛螨的高流行率支持了杂交物种具有高侵染水平的假设。水莺雌鸟身上的螨虫量大于雄鸟，这揭示了一种与之前研究的鸟类不同的模式。然而，我们并未发现螨虫侵扰对雌鸟的身体状况或当前的繁殖成功率有任何影响；因此，这种明显的共生关系并不意味着雌鸟滥交的代价。

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来源期刊

International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife Medicine-Infectious Diseases

CiteScore

3.80

自引率

5.60%

发文量

113

审稿时长

45 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (IJP-PAW) publishes the results of original research on parasites of all wildlife, invertebrate and vertebrate. This includes free-ranging, wild populations, as well as captive wildlife, semi-domesticated species (e.g. reindeer) and farmed populations of recently domesticated or wild-captured species (e.g. cultured fishes). Articles on all aspects of wildlife parasitology are welcomed including taxonomy, biodiversity and distribution, ecology and epidemiology, population biology and host-parasite relationships. The impact of parasites on the health and conservation of wildlife is seen as an important area covered by the journal especially the potential role of environmental factors, for example climate. Also important to the journal is ''one health'' and the nature of interactions between wildlife, people and domestic animals, including disease emergence and zoonoses.