Parasitic infestation of intradermal chiggers Hannemania achalai (Acari: Leeuwenhoekiidae) on the cryptic species Pleurodema kriegi and P. cordobae (Anura: Leptodactylidae: Leiuperinae) from Sierra Grande, Córdoba, Argentina

BIOLÉ, FERNANDA G.; VALETTI, JULIÁN A.; GRENAT, PABLO R.; SALAS, NANCY E.; MARTINO, ADOLFO L.

HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL

BRITISH HERPETOL SOC

Lugar: Montrose, Angus, UK; Año: 2015 vol. 25 p. 163 - 167

0268-0130

The chiggers of the genus Hannemania occur in the Americas and are intradermal parasites of amphibians. In the present study we examine the infestation of Hannemania achalai on the sister anuran species Pleurodema kriegi and P. cordobae. A total of 248 individuals were examined to quantify prevalence, mean abundance and mean intensity of infestation. Infestation rates in P. kriegi juveniles were lower than in adults. The abundance and intensity of infestation did not differ between host sexes. In adults, the prevalence on P. kriegi (92%) was notably higher than in P. cordobae (42%), which is also reflected in mean intensity (40.3/14.4 per infested host, respectively) and abundance (36.9/6.0 per individual, respectively) between species. Vent region and hind limbs had the highest parasite load. This study reports for the first time the presence of this parasite in P. cordobae. Moreover it represents the first comparative study of population estimators and Hannemania preference between taxonomically related species of frogs.