Seasonal variation of bat-flies (Diptera: Streblidae) in four bat species from a tropical dry forest

Mammalia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos ◽  
Alejandro Zaldívar-Riverón ◽  
Andrea Rebollo-Hernández ◽  
L. Gerardo Herrera-M
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Significant Information ◽  
Bat Flies ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Bat Fly ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Wet And Dry Seasons

AbstractSeasonality of climate promotes differences in abundance and species composition of parasites, affecting host-parasite interactions. Studies have reported seasonal variation in bat-flies, which are obligate bat ectoparasites. We characterized the bat-fly load of three insectivores [Pteronotus davyi(Gray),Pteronotus parnellii(Gray) andPteronotus personatus(Wagner)] and one nectarivorous [Leptonycteris yerbabuenae(Martínez and Villa-R.)] bat species in a tropical dry forest to test the existence of seasonality in response to the availability of resources during the wet and dry seasons. We collected 3710 bat-fly specimens belonging to six species and two genera from 497 bats. Most of the ectoparasite load parameters examined (mean abundance, mean intensity, richness, etc.), including comparisons among reproductive conditions and sex of the host, were similar in both seasons. Prevalence was the parameter that varied the most between seasons. The six bat-fly species were found in all bat species exceptP. personatus. The latter species andL. yerbabuenaehad four and five bat-fly species in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. This study provides significant information of ectoparasites ecology in relation to seasonality, contributes to the understanding of host-parasite relationships in tropical dry forests and discusses the relevance of the abiotic and biotic factors that could impact host-parasite interactions.

Effect of seasonality and microclimate on the variation in bat-fly load (Diptera: Streblidae) in a cave bat assemblage in a dry forest

Mammalia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliana Tlapaya-Romero ◽  
Antonio Santos-Moreno ◽  
Sergio Ibáñez-Bernal
Keyword(s):  
Parasite Load ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Load Parameter ◽  
Significant Information ◽  
Bat Flies ◽  
Infestation Intensity ◽  
Pteronotus Parnellii ◽  
Bat Fly ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Factors ◽  
Host Parasite

Abstract Seasonality causes fluctuations in the availability of resources, affecting the presence and abundance of animal species. These fluctuations can have an impact on parasite-host relationships, which in turn can be exacerbated by microclimatic changes to which bat-flies are exposed. We characterized the bat-fly load and evaluated the effect of seasonality on five bat species in a dry forest. We evaluated variations in microclimatic conditions inside the cave Cerro Huatulco between seasons and the response of the bat-fly load. We collected 1165 bat-fly specimens belonging to 16 species from 688 bats. The obtained results indicate that the mean abundance and infestation intensity exhibited changes between seasons in Artibeus jamaicensis, Desmodus rotundus, Glossophaga soricina, and Pteronotus parnellii. In the case of the effect of microclimate conditions, we observed that prevalence is negatively correlated with temperature in G. soricina, while mean abundance and mean infestation intensity were negatively related to temperature in A. jamaicensis and G. soricina. The present study provides significant information about host-parasite relationships in a dry forest and discusses the relevance of abiotic and biotic factors that could affect host-parasite interactions, as well as the importance of each parasite load parameter for the understanding of this interaction.

scholarly journals Fruiting phenology and consumption by birds in Ficus calyptroceras (Miq.) Miq. (Moraceae)

2002 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. RAGUSA-NETTO
Keyword(s):  
Food Resource ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Frugivorous Birds ◽  
Fruiting Phenology ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Seed Dispersers ◽  
Wet And Dry Seasons

Figs are a remarkable food resource to frugivores, mainly in periods of general fruit scarcity. Ficus calyptroceras Miq. (Moraceae) is the only fig species in a type of dry forest in western Brazil. In this study I examined the fruiting pattern as well as fig consumption by birds in F. calyptroceras. Although rainfall was highly seasonal, fruiting was aseasonal, since the monthly proportion of fruiting trees ranged from 4% to 14% (N = 50 trees). I recorded 22 bird species feeding on figs. In the wet season 20 bird species ate figs, while in the dry season 13 did. Parrots were the most important consumers. This group removed 72% and 40% of the figs consumed in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. No bird species increases fig consumption from dry to wet season. However, a group of bird species assumed as seed dispersers largely increases fig consumption from wet to dry season, suggesting the importance of this resource in the period of fruit scarcity. The results of this study points out the remarkable role that F. calyptroceras plays to frugivorous birds, in such a dry forest, since its fruits were widely consumed and were available all year round.

The effects of seasonality on host–bat fly ecological networks in a temperate mountain cave

Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (5) ◽  
pp. 692-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
KARINA D. RIVERA-GARCÍA ◽  
CÉSAR A. SANDOVAL-RUIZ ◽  
ROMEO A. SALDAÑA-VÁZQUEZ ◽  
JORGE E. SCHONDUBE
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Ecological Networks ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Bat Flies ◽  
Bat Fly ◽  
Low Prevalence ◽  
Host Parasite

SUMMARYChanges in the specialization of parasite–host interactions will be influenced by variations in host species composition. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing the composition of bats and bat flies within a roost cave over one annual. Five bat and five bat fly species occupied the cave over the course of the study. Bat species composition was 40% different in the rainy season compared with the dry–cold and dry–warm seasons. Despite the incorporation of three new bat species into the cave during the rainy season, bat fly species composition was not affected by seasonality, since the bats that arrived in the rainy season only contributed one new bat fly species at a low prevalence. Bat–bat fly ecological networks were less specialized in the rainy season compared with the dry–cold and dry–warm seasons because of the increase of host overlap among bat fly species during this season. This study suggests that seasonality promote: (1) differences in host species composition, and (2) a reduction in the specialization of host–parasite ecological networks.

The risk of use small matrices to measure specialization in host–parasite interaction networks: a comment to Rivera-García et al. (2016)

Parasitology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 144 (8) ◽  
pp. 1102-1106 ◽  
Author(s):  
PEDRO LUNA ◽  
ERICK J. CORRO ◽  
DIANA A. AHUATZIN-FLORES ◽  
REUBER L. ANTONIAZZI ◽  
NATHALIA BARROZO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Bat Fly ◽  
Host Parasite

SUMMARYIn the last years, there were a growing number of studies using the metric H2′ to calculate complementary specialization in host–parasite interaction networks. However, only a few studies have explored the sensitivity of H2′ to network dimensions (i.e. species richness and number of interactions), which consequently could generate studies that are not comparable among them or lead to biased conclusions. In this study, we used the recent published study conducted by Rivera-García et al. in 2016 involving host–bat fly networks as an example to call attention to the risk of using H2′ to calculate specialization for small matrices. After conducting analyses based on both empirical and simulated data, we show that H2′ values are strongly affected by randomly allocation of species interactions to another cell in the matrix for small networks and that therefore the results and conclusions presented in Rivera-García et al. in 2016 are only an artefact of the dataset used. Therefore, we fully recommended taking into account the careful use of small networks to measuring specialization in host–parasite interactions.

Behavioral responses to seasonality by two Sceloporine lizard species from a tropical dry forest

2010 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marciano Valtierra-Azotla ◽  
Bradford Lister ◽  
Andrés García
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Western Mexico ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Resource Levels

AbstractWe investigated behavioral responses of two lizards, Sceloporus melanorhinus and S. utiformis, to environmental seasonality in a tropical dry forest of western Mexico. We conducted focal observations of individuals in the field during both the rainy and dry seasons and compared perch use, foraging and social behaviors and displacement activity within and between species. Our results indicate that seasonal changes occur in the behavior and activity of both male and female S. melanorhinus and S. utiformis. Feeding frequency, social displays, and distances travelled increased significantly in both species during the rainy season. These seasonal changes tended to be more pronounced in the arboreal species; S. melanorhinus. Surprisingly, female S. melanorhinus perched higher than males during the rainy season. Most of the observed changes are similar to the responses to seasonality observed in other lizards, both for species that exist within our study area, and for species that inhabit other seasonal environments in tropical and temperate ecosystems. Thus, the seasonal patterns in behavior documented in this study may represent a general set of behavioral strategies that allow lizards to better adapt to seasonal fluctuations in their environment, such as changes in predation pressure, variation in resource levels, and differences in insolation, temperature, and moisture levels.

scholarly journals Analysis of thermal conductivity in a seasonal flooded forest in the northern Pantanal

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-128
Author(s):  
Leone Francisco Amorim Curado ◽  
Thiago Rangel Rodrigues ◽  
Allan Gonçalves de Oliveira ◽  
Jonathan Willian Zangeski Novais ◽  
Iramaia Jorge Cabral de Paulo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Energy Flow ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Soil Conductivity ◽  
Fourier Equation ◽  
Wet And Dry Seasons

Research involving the flux of energy in the soil has been intensified in order to increase the understanding of the geophysical behavior of the Pantanal-Brazil. In present study was examined the seasonal variation of the thermal soil conductivity in the Pantanal for the study of energy flow in the soil to Pantanal region. The average values obtained by the Fourier equation showed that the soil thermal conductivity in the wet and dry seasons was 8.69 W.m-1.ºC-1 and 6.65 W.m-1.ºC-1 respectively. The seasonal variation of the thermal conductivity of the soil was 30.68% higher in the wet season than in the dry season due to soil moisture in the wet season. It was also noted that the seasonal variation of temperature in the soil layer was higher in the wet season than in the dry season due to a lower incidence of solar radiation in this season.

Temporal separation between jaguar and puma in the dry forests of southern Bolivia

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Romero-Muñoz ◽  
Leonardo Maffei ◽  
Erika Cuéllar ◽  
Andrew J. Noss
Keyword(s):  
Prey Species ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Potential Prey ◽  
Temporal Separation ◽  
Behavioural Factor ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Wet And Dry Seasons

Abstract:Despite the potential importance of temporal separation for the coexistence of competing species, no study has found significant segregation at the circadian level between jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) in sympatry. Using data from camera trap surveys (wet and dry seasons), we have evaluated the activity patterns of both species and their potential prey at four areas in the dry forest of the Bolivian Chaco. We tested if temporal separation existed between these two species, and if their activity was related to that of a particular prey. At most sites, activity patterns of jaguar and puma did not vary significantly between seasons, except for puma at one site. There were no differences between sexes for any cat species at any site. At three sites we found statistically significant differences in the activity patterns of jaguar and puma, as they showed a clear temporal segregation. None of them followed the activity patterns of any particular prey species across sites. The latter suggests that segregation is influenced by avoidance behaviour between the two felid species. Therefore, temporal separation may be an important behavioural factor promoting the coexistence of jaguar and puma in some areas of this dry forest.

scholarly journals Hidden diversity of Nycteribiidae (Diptera) bat flies from the Malagasy region and insights on host-parasite interactions

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beza Ramasindrazana ◽  
Steven M. Goodman ◽  
Yann Gomard ◽  
Carl W. Dick ◽  
Pablo Tortosa
Keyword(s):  
Bat Flies ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Host Parasite

scholarly journals Los Hongos micorrizógenos arbusculares de la región de Nizanda, Oaxaca, México

2017 ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Guadarrama-Chávez ◽  
Sara Lucía Camargo-Ricalde ◽  
Laura Hernández-Cuevas ◽  
Silvia Castillo-Argüero
Keyword(s):  
New Records ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Secondary Vegetation ◽  
The Family ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Corn Fields

Twenty five species and seven genera of micorrhizal arbuscular fungi (AMF) are reported for the region of Nizanda, Oaxaca, Mexico. To this end, soil samples were taken randomly, during the rainy and the dry seasons, in corn fields, secondary vegetation areas, as well as in primary tropical dry forest. Spores were isolated, identified and propagation pots were set. The family Glomeraceae accounted for 44% of the species, followed by Acaulosporaceae (24%) and Gigasporaceae (20%). In the corn fields 13 species were found, 24 in secondary vegetation, and 12 in the tropical dry forest. Among these, Glomus dussi, G. verruculosum, Pacispora scintillans and Scutellospora erythropa are new records for Mexico. G. constrictum was encountered only in the corn fields, whereas Acaulospora delicata, A. foveata, A. mellea, A. scrobiculata, Entrophospora infrequens, Gigaspora decipiens, Glomus claroideum, G. fulvum and G. geosporum occurred in the three environments. No species were restricted to the tropical dry forest.

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