Determinants of ectoparasite assemblage structure on rodent hosts from South American marshland: The effects of host species, locality and season.

MARCELA LARESCHI; BORIS KRASNOV

MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2010 vol. 24 p. 284 - 292

0269-283X

  We assessed the relative effect of host species identity, locality and season on ectoparasite assemblage structure (relative abundances and species richness) harboured by four rodent hosts (Akodon azarae, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Oxymycterus rufus and Scapteromys aquaticus) across six closely located sites in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Relative abundances of ectoparasites (14 species including gamasid mites, an ixodid tick, a trombiculid mite, lice and fleas) as well as total ectoparasite abundance and species richness were determined mainly by the identity of host species and to a lesser extent by locality (despite the small spatial scale of the study), whereas seasonal effect was weak, albeit significant. Abundances of some ectoparasites were determined solely by host identity, whereas those of other ectoparasites (sometimes belonging to the same higher taxon) were affected also by locality and/or season. In gamasids, a significant effect of locality was found for some species but not for others. In fleas and lice, the effect of locality was similar in different species supporting the idea that this effect is related to the characteristic life history strategy.  [D1]MVE does not use first person please re-word