INVESTIGADORES
LEONARDI Maria Soledad
artículos
Título:
Lousy mums: patterns of vertical transmission of an amphibious louse
Autor/es:
M.S. LEONARDI; E.A. CRESPO; J.A. RAGA; F.J. AZNAR
Revista:
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
Editorial:
SPRINGER
Referencias:
Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2013 vol. 112 p. 3315 - 3323
ISSN:
0932-0113
Resumen:
In this study we document patterns of vertical transmission of the amphibious louse Antarctophthirus microchir (Echinophthiriidae), in pups of South American sea lion,Otaria flavescens, from Patagonia. Vertical transmission is fundamental for the long-term stability of A. microchir populations because only pups stay long enough (1 month) on land for the louse to reproduce. A total of 72 pups ≤7 days old from a single rookery were captured and examined for lice. Infection parameters and population structure of A. microchir did not differ among pups collected at the beginning, middle and end of the reproductive season, suggesting that patterns of early vertical transmission are not affected by increase of rookery size during this period. Over 60% of 1-day-old pups were infected with A. microchir, and recruitment increased in pups up to 3 days old and then leveled off. In 1-day-old pups, significantly more adults than nymphs were found, but the pattern was reversed in older pups. The number of 1st-stage nymphs was significantly smaller than that of 2nd- and 3rd-stage nymphs, as it was the number of males vs. females, particularly in 1-day-old pups. Three non-exclusive hypotheses could account for these patterns, i.e., recruitment merely reflects the population structure of A. microchir is cows; the relative ability of lice to pass from cows onto pups increases in advanced instars, and/or natural selection favors transmission of adults, especially females, because they accrue greater fitness. The importance of latter hypothesis should not be underestimated in a species with a tight reproductive schedule.