Helminth-fauna of Patagonian armadillos: comparative analysis of parasites geographical variation

GALLO, JORGE ALBERTO; EZQUIAGA, MARÍA CECILIA; FASOLA, LAURA; ABBA, AGUSTÍN M.

ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS.

ACAD BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS

Lugar: Rio de Janeiro; Año: 2021 vol. 93 p. 1 - 12

0001-3765

The similarity between parasites communities? decay with distance and itsanalysis may explain important ecological process such host dispersion. Patagonia isinhabited by two armadillo species, Chaetophractus villosus and Zaedyus pichiy. In thisstudy we describe and analyze the variation on helminth fauna of these armadillos inPatagonia compared with northern localities described in previous studies. A total of 49armadillos were collected in Patagonia. Quantitative descriptors of parasite ecology werecalculated and community structure of helminths was analyzed following the centralsatellite species hypothesis. The parasite richness in Patagonia decreases almost 50%in both armadillos. Zaedyus pichiy present the same central species in Patagonia as innorthern localities. For C. villosus central-satellite species analysis could not be applied.The loss of some helminths in Z. pichiy could be the result of lower temperatures orthe absence of intermediate arthropods hosts. But in C. villosus the absence of somehelminths with Patagonian distribution could be explained by its recent dispersion inPatagonia. Trichohelix tuberculata still being the only helminth in C. villosus introducedpopulation of Tierra del Fuego.