Parasitism of Hannemania sp (Acari: Leeuwenhoekiidae) in Pleurodema kriegi and Pleurodema cordobae from Sierra Grande, Córdoba, Argentina

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

La Falda, Córdoba

Congreso; XIX Jornadas Científicas de la Sociedad de Biología de Córdoba; 2013

Sociedad de Biología de Córdoba

The mites of the genus Hannemania Oudemans are intradermal parasites in numerous species of amphibian around the world. In the present study we compare the prevalence, mean abundance and mean intensity of infestation on the endemic species Pleurodema kriegi and Pleurodema cordobae from Sierra Grande, Córdoba. Populations of Pleurodema were sampled in permanent and semipermanent ponds and streams. A total of 188 adult individuals were examined under a stereoscopic microscope to quantify the number of capsules per specimen. Then, the subcutaneal parasites were excised with needles for its taxonomic determination. Snout-vent length (SVL) and sex was measured to each individual. The parasites were identified as larval stages of Hannemania sp. The prevalence in P. kriegi (90.99%) was notably higher than in P. cordobae (41.56%). Similar results were found comparing mean intensity (40.71/14.38 per individual, respectively) and mean abundance (37.05/5.97 per infested host, respectively) between species. A relation between body length and mean parasite abundance was only found in P. kriegi (r=0.27; p=0.0004). The present study represents the first comparative analysis of the parasitic ecology of Hannemania sp. on cryptic and endemic anuran species from Sierra Grande, Córdoba.