Predicting species richness of ectoparasites of wild rodents from the Río de la Plata coastal wetlands, Argentina

LILJESTHROM GERARDO; MARCELA LARESCHI

PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2018 vol. 117 p. 2507 - 2520

0932-0113

The richness of ectoparasite species associated with Sigmodontinae rodents(Cricetidae) from different sites located in the coastal wetlands of the Río de la Plata inArgentina, was predicted by a model with three components: 1) habitat type,considered analogous to rodent species, 2) average ectoparasite species richness oneach rodent species, and 3) average number of rodent species parasitized by eachectoparasite species. The model, based on rodent information (number of species andtotal number of captured rodents) and the environmental gradient, has a reasonablygood fit for the observed data as well as independent data from different localities. Themodel is predictive and robust, and it could be a useful tool for epidemiological andbiodiversity management strategies. Furthermore, the model could be adapted to otherhabitats if a suitable estimate of an environmental gradient is found, and it could bealso possible to adapt it to other host taxa.