Explaining covariation between endo- and ecto-parasites in spreadwing damselflies (Zygoptera: Lestidae)

2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (10) ◽  
pp. 761-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Morrill ◽  
J.J. Mlynarek ◽  
M.R. Forbes

Host individuals and populations are commonly infected by more than one type of parasite, yet studies examining parasite effects on host fitness often limit observations or experiments to only a single parasite taxon or to a narrow subset of potential parasite taxa. Addressing covariation between parasite taxa is important for determining the potential for misattributing effects caused by one parasite species to another parasite species, and also for testing more broadly whether host attributes relate to exposure or susceptibility to infection. In this study, parasitism by ectoparasitic water mites (Arrenuridae) and endoparasitic gregarines (Eugregarinidae) of two spreadwing damselfly species, Lestes disjunctus Selys, 1862 and Lestes forcipatus Rambur, 1842, was measured and analyzed for covariance. No significant correlations between the intensities of the two types of infecting parasites were found when both live and resisted mites were considered. However, significant negative correlations between live mites and gregarines were consistently found in L. forcipatus host samples, but never in L. disjunctus samples. These results show some species-specific patterns of covariation between mite and gregarine infections in damselflies. We propose potential underlying causes for this correlation related to parasite–host ecology and to changes in host behaviour resulting from water mite infection of L. forcipatus.

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4768 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-300
Author(s):  
KANTO NISHIKAWA ◽  
TOM GOLDSCHMIDT ◽  
SHIMPEI F. HIRUTA ◽  
SATOSHI SHIMANO

Hygrobates salamandrarum Goldschmidt, Gerecke and Alberti, 2002 (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae) is the first-known water mite parasitizing adult newts. After its description, three further species of newt-parasitizing mites were described and the subgenus Lurchibates Goldschmidt and Fu, 2011 was proposed for the group, now containing four newt-parasitizing mites. Until now, each water mite species parasitizes a different newt species (Table 1), suggesting possible mite-newt co-speciation. In order to test this hypothesis, we need an accurate taxonomy of both of the hosts and parasites. However, the taxonomy of those Asian newt genera known to be parasitized by Lurchibates mites has been substantially revised after the initial description of the H. salamandrarum. To account for these taxonomic changes, we here revise the host-parasite species list and amend the host species name as shown in Table 1. 


Parasitology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. NORTON ◽  
J. P. WEBSTER ◽  
R. A. KANE ◽  
D. ROLLINSON

SUMMARYCompetition between parasite species has been predicted to be an important force shaping parasite and host ecology and evolution, although empirical data are often lacking. Using theMus musculus-Schistosoma mansoniandSchistosoma rodhainihost-parasite systems we characterized mate choice and inter-specific competition between these two schistosome species. Simultaneous infections revealed species-specific mate preferences for both species as well as suggesting mating competition, with maleS. rodhainiappearing dominant over maleS. mansoni.S. rodhainihomologous pairs were also shown to have increased reproduction per paired female in the presence of a competitor in simultaneous infections. Overall total reproductive success was, however, similar between the two species under conditions of direct competition due to the greater initial infectivity ofS. mansoniin comparison toS. rodhaini. Inter-specific competition was also implicated as increased parasite virulence to the host. The potential effects of such interactions on parasite and host ecology and evolution in nature are discussed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-188
Author(s):  
P.V. Tuzovskij

Two new water mite species, Torrenticola amplexella and T. krasnodarensis, from running waters of the North Caucasus (Krasnodar Kray) are described with illustrations.


Parasitology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERT POULIN

SUMMARYAggregated distributions among individual hosts are a defining feature of metazoan parasite populations. Heterogeneity among host individuals in exposure to parasites or in susceptibility to infection is thought to be the main factor generating aggregation, with properties of parasites themselves explaining some of the variability in aggregation levels observed among species. Here, using data from 410 samples of helminth parasites on fish hosts, I tested the contribution of (i) within-sample variation in host body size, taken as a proxy for variability in host susceptibility, and (ii) parasite taxon and developmental stage, to the aggregated distribution of parasites. Log-transformed variance in numbers of parasites per host was regressed against log mean number across all samples; the strong relationship (r2 = 0·88) indicated that aggregation levels are tightly constrained by mean infection levels, and that only a small proportion of the observed variability in parasite aggregation levels remains to be accounted for by other factors. Using the residuals of this regression as measures of ‘unexplained’ aggregation, a mixed effects model revealed no significant effect of within-sample variation in host body size or of parasite taxon or stage (i.e. juvenile versus adult) on parasite aggregation level within a sample. However, much of the remaining variability in parasite aggregation levels among samples was accounted for by the number of individual hosts examined per sample, and species-specific and study-specific effects reflecting idiosyncrasies of particular systems. This suggests that with most differences in aggregation among samples already explained, there may be little point in seeking universal causes for the remaining variation.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4277 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETR V. TUZOVSKIJ

The first description of the deutonymph of the water mite Hygrobates setosus and a redescription of larvae, females and males of H. nigromaculatus and H. setosus are presented, with a comparative analysis of some morphological structures in all active stages of both species. 


Zoosymposia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDREY B. SHATROV

Anatomy and ultrastructural organization of the larval mouthparts in representatives of terrestrial (Trombiculidae parasitizing vertebrates and Microtrombidiidae parasitizing arthropods) as well as aquatic (Pionidae and Hydrodromidae parasitizing arthropods) families from the cohort Parasitengona were studied using whole-mount preparations, semi-thin sections and TEM and SEM methods. In these groups, the organization of the mouth apparatus differs significantly especially with regard to their particular functional specialization and adaptations reflecting evolutionary trends in these groups. In trombiculid larvae, the mouthparts reveal the simplest organization. The gnathosoma is totally free, the infracapitulum and the basal cheliceral segments are short and wide, and the latter are separated from each other. The flexible lateral lips form a temporary sucker, distinguishable when the larva feeds, and the pharynx is totally fused with the bottom of the infracapitulum. In microtrombidiid larvae, the gnathosoma is covered by the arched dorsal shield, the chelicerae are comparatively long and separated, and the lateral lips form a permanent sucker provided with an internal sclerite. Conversely, in water mite larvae, the chelicerae are fused together and either partially (Piona carnea) or totally (Hydrodroma despiciens) free from the overhanging idiosomal fold. The lateral lips are flexible and organized freely, and the pharynx is totally separated from the bottom of the infracapitulum. In general, water mite larvae show significant variations and specializations but at the same time seem to possess the most plesiomorphic characters in organization of the mouth apparatus. The ancestral parasitengone may have given rise to divergent groups of water mites as such, as well as to trombiculids with the secondary simplification of the mouth apparatus and to microtrombidiids with their particular additional adaptations and specialization in organization of the mouthparts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shailza Negi ◽  
Pankaj Bahuguna ◽  
Anoop Dobriyal

Water mites are a large group of macroinvertebrates that are very vulnerable to contamination and environmental changes. As a result, they are often used to monitor water quality. Khankra gad stream, a third-order perennial spring-fed stream of the Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand, India, was studied to determine the drift behavior of water mites and water quality. Drift nets were set up for 24 hours in both spots of the Khankra stream where there was little or no human influence over a two-year sampling period (June 2018-20). Every four hours, the nets were changed out with new ones. Water mites signify a particular drift month and diel drift pattern. The majority of the drift mite species were present in considerably higher numbers in the daytime. During the two-year study period, a total of 2503 mite samples were collected from the Khankra stream, from which 204 water mite species drifted. The least number of Hydrachnidia (694) were collected from Spot-1, and the highest (1809) were collected from Spot-2, with 106 water mites drifting from Spot-1 and 134 mites drifting from Spot-2 during the study period. From Spot-2 maximum 25 mite species were collected and minimum 19 mite species were collected from Spot-1. For various mite species, the DBDI value ranged from 0.155 (July) to 0.204 (April) in Spot-1 and 0.134 (July) to 0.149 (February) in Spot-2. It was also observed that maximum water mite species were day-drifter. The physico-chemical parameters of the Khankra stream were also reported. The effect of ecological parameters on mite drift was investigated using Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA).


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2241 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
PETR V. TUZOVSKIJ ◽  
KSENIA A. SEMENCHENKO

Illustrated descriptions of five water mite species, Sperchon (Hispidosperchon) nevelskoii sp. n., Teutonia (Subteutonia) minor sp. n., Lebertia (Mixolebertia) sokolowi sp. n., Mixobates amurensis sp. n. and Feltria (Feltria) orientalis sp. n., from running and standing waters of the Far East of Russia are presented.


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2070 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
VLADIMIR PESIC ◽  
HARRY SMIT

Three new water mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia) species are described from Tasmania, Tasmanobates separatus sp. nov., Procorticacarus karanovici sp. nov. and Guineaxonopsis tasmanica sp. nov. The material was collected in 2008 during a biological survey by Tom and Ivana Karanović (Hobart, Tasmania) from surface and interstitial waters of Tasmania. Moreover, a detailed description of Litarachna cf. amnicola Cook, 1986 is given.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1589-1610
Author(s):  
Andrzej Zawal ◽  
Izabela Szućko ◽  
Magdalena Szenejko ◽  
Lidia Skuza ◽  
Aleksandra Bańkowska ◽  
...  

New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the standing waters of Sri Lanka are presented. Fifteen species have been registrated, among them four species, i.e. Piona srilankana (Pionidae), Neumania edytae (Unionicolidae), Krendowskia (Krendowskiella) srilankana (Krendowskiidae), and Mideopsis ewelinae (Mideopsidae) are described as new to science. DNA was extracted from 18 water mite specimens and DNA barcodes are given for the first time for nine species.


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