Exotic Species and Autochthonous Parasites: Trichostrongylus Retortaeformis in Eastern Cottontail

Introduction: A parasite community is usually well adapted and specific to the host species they co-evolved with. Although exotic pathogens infecting autochthonous species have been documented, the infection of an alien species with native parasites is rare in lagomorphs. Trichostrongylus retortaeformis is a nematode parasite infecting the small intestine of domestic and wild lagomorphs in Europe. Methods: Thirty-two Eastern cottontails from a naturalized population in Italy were processed to describe the gastrointestinal parasite community. Results and discussions: T. retortaeformis is reported for the first time in the Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus introduced to Europe. The Eastern cottontail is an invasive lagomorph, living in sympatry with the autochthonous European brown hare in certain areas of Italy. This study provides new insights into the dynamics of parasite communities of native and alien lagomorph species in sympatric areas.

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Field and experimental data indicate that the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is susceptible to infection with European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) virus and not with rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) virus

Veterinary Research ◽

10.1186/s13567-015-0149-4 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 13 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Antonio Lavazza ◽

Patrizia Cavadini ◽

Ilaria Barbieri ◽

Paolo Tizzani ◽

Ana Pinheiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Data ◽

Brown Hare ◽

Sylvilagus Floridanus ◽

European Brown Hare ◽

Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease ◽

Eastern Cottontail ◽

European Brown Hare Syndrome ◽

Haemorrhagic Disease

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Metazoan parasites of blue jack mackerelTrachurus picturatus(Perciformes: Carangidae) from Portuguese mainland waters

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x15000504 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 90 (4) ◽

pp. 410-416 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

M. Hermida ◽

A. Pereira ◽

A.T. Correia ◽

C. Cruz ◽

A. Saraiva

Keyword(s):

Parasite Community ◽

Horse Mackerel ◽

Jack Mackerel ◽

East Atlantic ◽

Metazoan Parasites ◽

Parasite Communities ◽

Digenean Species ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

First Time

AbstractBlue jack mackerel,Trachurus picturatus,is a carangid fish which constitutes an important commercial resource in the north-east Atlantic. Its metazoan parasite community from Portuguese mainland waters was investigated here for the first time. Nine parasite taxa were found, most of which are common parasites ofTrachurusspp. The parasite community was broadly similar to that of the Atlantic horse mackerel,T. trachurus, from the same region, but two digenean species were detected in blue jack mackerel,Monascus filiformisandTergestiasp., which did not occur in horse mackerel from this region. A comparison with the two previous studies ofT. picturatusparasite communities shows that continental-shelf regions are characterized by higher prevalences of digenean trematodes and an absence of trypanorhynch cestodes, in contrast with oceanic regions.

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Community structure of digenean parasites of sparid and labrid fishes of the Mediterranean sea: a new approach

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182099005077 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 119 (6) ◽

pp. 635-648 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

P. SASAL ◽

N. NIQUIL ◽

P. BARTOLI

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Digestive Tract ◽

Parasite Species ◽

Parasite Community ◽

Community Studies ◽

Biological Factors ◽

Parasite Communities ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

First Time

The aim of this work was to study the structure of the parasite communities of Digeneans of 2 families of Teleost fishes (Sparidae and Labridae) of the Mediterranean sea. We tried to quantify the importance of both the microhabitat requirements of the parasite species and the effect of host biological factors on the parasite communities. We applied, for the first time in parasite community studies, the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) to analyse (i) the spatial distribution of parasite species within the digestive tract of the hosts; (ii) the host's biological factors (such as diet, host length, gregariousness and abundance) that may influence this spatial distribution of parasite species. Our results showed that potential microhabitats were vacant in the 2 host families studied revealing a lack of niche saturation because either there was little inter- and/or intraspecific competition or there were enough available space and resources within the host. Our results also indicated that the position of the parasite in the digestive tract is much more important than host biological factors for the structure of parasite community. Finally, we highlight the potential use of the CCA method for controlling for phylogenetic constraints in multi-species analyses.

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Does the Introduction of Alien Species Represent a Sanitary Threat for Native Species? The Case of the Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus in Italy

Life ◽

10.3390/life10080142 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 142 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Paolo Tizzani ◽

Daniela Andrade ◽

Anna Rita Molinar Min ◽

Andrea Peano ◽

Pier Giuseppe Meneguz

Keyword(s):

Alien Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Parasite Community ◽

Sylvilagus Floridanus ◽

Ecological Community ◽

Gastrointestinal Parasite ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Natural Range ◽

Epidemiological Characteristics

Introduction of alien species is a well-known threat to biodiversity. Where newly introduced, alien species may pose a risk for the local ecological community by competing for resources or by introducing pathogens. Sylvilagus floridanus is an American lagomorph introduced into Europe in the second half of 20th century, for hunting. This study evaluated the structure and epidemiological characteristics of the gastrointestinal parasite community in an introduced population of S. floridanus in the Province of Alessandria (Piedmont Region—Italy). Three alien parasites were reported out of 271 animals: Obeliscoides cuniculi in the stomach, Trichostrongylus calcaratus in the small intestine, and Passarulus nonnanulatus in the large intestine. All these nematodes are commonly reported in S. floridanus in its natural range, but they represent alien species in Europe. The report of these alien parasites is an example of the unexpected consequences caused by the introduction of non-native vertebrates. The documented introduction of new pathogens may alter the parasite community of the native lagomorphs, with possible long-term effects on local ecological dynamics.

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Parasite communities and infection levels of the invasive Chinese sleeper Perccottus glenii (Actinopterygii: Odontobutidae) from the Naab river basin, Germany

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x16000791 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 91 (6) ◽

pp. 703-710 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Y. Kvach ◽

M. Janáč ◽

S. Nehring ◽

M. Ondračková ◽

P. Jurajda

Keyword(s):

Parasite Species ◽

Nematode Species ◽

Parasite Community ◽

Perccottus Glenii ◽

Cestode Species ◽

Commercial Fish ◽

Parasite Communities ◽

Second Intermediate Host ◽

First Time

AbstractThe Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive Asian fish, was first registered in Germany in 2009 (westernmost extent of its invasive range). We sampled Chinese sleepers from two localities on the Bücherlgraben creek (a tributary of the River Naab) in south-eastern Germany in November 2015 and examined them for parasite infection. Twelve taxa were registered, including ciliates (unidentified Trichodina), a monogenean, three cestode species, two digenean taxa, two acanthocephalan species, two nematode species and one mollusc glochidia. Infracommunities consisted of 1–5 species, with 10% of fish uninfected. Three parasite species (Acanthocephalus anguillae, Gyrodactylus luciopercae and Pseudocapillaria tomentosa) were recorded on Chinese sleepers for the first time. The results highlight the important role of the Chinese sleeper as a second intermediate host in the life cycle of heron and grebe parasites. The Chinese sleeper parasite community displayed low homogeneity at both localities sampled, with allogenic parasites (metacercariae and mesocercoids) mostly shared. Differences between localities were mainly caused by autogenic parasites. No invasive parasites associated with the Chinese sleeper were observed in the study area, all parasites being representatives of European fauna. This supports the hypothesis of introduction via the aquarium trade or through transport with commercial fish.

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Ectoparasites of rabbits and hares in Manitoba, Canada, with observations on age-specific dispersal in Haemodipsus setoni (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Polyplacidae)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/tce.2012.44 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 144 (3) ◽

pp. 439-446 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Terry D. Galloway

Keyword(s):

Lepus Americanus ◽

Snowshoe Hare ◽

Sylvilagus Floridanus ◽

Mean Intensity ◽

Pulex Irritans ◽

Snowshoe Hares ◽

Eastern Cottontail ◽

First Time

AbstractDuring 1994–2008, 58 adult and 195 juvenile eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus (Allen)), one adult and 23 juvenile snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben), and eight adult white-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii Bachman) (Mammalia: Leporidae) were examined for ectoparasites. The most abundant ectoparasite on cottontails was the sucking louse, Haemodipsus setoni Ewing (Phthiraptera; Polyplacidae), recorded from this host for the first time. Infestations in adult and juvenile cottontails were highly aggregated, k = 0.136 and 0.153, respectively. Prevalence of infestation in adult cottontails was 70.6%, with a mean intensity of 5614.1 (range: 1–166 249); 10 adults had more than 1000 lice. In juvenile cottontails, prevalence was 34.8% and mean intensity was 6.2 (range: 1–87). On adult cottontails, 73.4% of the total lice were nymphs, while on juvenile cottontails only 11.6% were nymphs. It appears that dispersal from parents to offspring is overwhelmingly achieved by adult lice. Seventeen adult cottontails were infested with the tick, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard) (Acari: Ixodidae). No fleas specific to rabbits were collected but small numbers of the rodent fleas Monopsyllus vison (Baker), Orchopeas caedens (Jordan), and Aetheca wagneri (Baker) (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) were recorded. Only one snowshoe hare was infested with H. setoni and three were infested with H. leporispalustris; no fleas were found on snowshoe hares. Two white-tailed jackrabbits were infested with H. leporispalustris; one carried Pulex irritans Linnaeus (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), and none carried lice.

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Defecation rate of Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) and European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus)

Wildlife Biology in Practice ◽

10.2461/wbp.2015.11.6 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jacopo Cerri ◽

Marco Ferretti ◽

Erika Merci ◽

Lorenzo Petralia

Keyword(s):

Lepus Europaeus ◽

Brown Hare ◽

Sylvilagus Floridanus ◽

European Brown Hare ◽

Defecation Rate ◽

Eastern Cottontail

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The ecology of parasites of freshwater fishes: the search for patterns

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182009005794 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 136 (12) ◽

pp. 1653-1662 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

C. R. KENNEDY

Keyword(s):

Community Dynamics ◽

Parasite Community ◽

Freshwater Fishes ◽

Convincing Evidence ◽

Helminth Parasites ◽

Parasite Communities ◽

Space And Time ◽

Long Time ◽

Population And Community Dynamics ◽

Parasite Populations

SUMMARYDevelopments in the study of the ecology of helminth parasites of freshwater fishes over the last half century are reviewed. Most research has of necessity been field based and has involved the search for patterns in population and community dynamics that are repeatable in space and time. Mathematical models predict that under certain conditions host and parasite populations can attain equilibrial levels through operation of regulatory factors. Such factors have been identified in several host-parasite systems and some parasite populations have been shown to persist over long time-periods. However, there is no convincing evidence that fish parasite populations are stable and regulated since in all cases alternative explanations are equally acceptable and it appears that they are non-equilibrial systems. It has proved particularly difficult to detect replicable patterns in parasite communities. Inter-specific competition, evidenced by functional and numerical responses, has been detected in several communities but its occurrence is erratic and its significance unclear. Some studies have failed to find any nested patterns in parasite community structure and richness, whereas others have identified such patterns although they are seldom constant over space and time. Departures from randomness appear to be the exception and then only temporary. It appears that parasite communities are non-equilibrial, stochastic assemblages rather than structured and organized.

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Consistent differences in macroparasite community composition among populations of three-spined sticklebacks,Gasterosteus aculeatusL.

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182012000789 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 139 (11) ◽

pp. 1478-1491 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

JOB DE ROIJ ◽

ANDREW D. C. MacCOLL

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variation ◽

Community Composition ◽

Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽

Parasite Community ◽

Field Studies ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Parasite Communities ◽

Geographical Distances ◽

Host Parasite ◽

Relative Differences

SUMMARYParasite ecologists are often interested in the repeatability of patterns in parasite communities in space and/or time, because of implications for the dynamics of host-parasite interactions. Field studies usually examine temporal and spatial variation in isolation or limit themselves to a small number of host populations. Here, we studied the macroparasite communities of 12 populations of three-spined stickleback,Gasterosteus aculeatusL., on North Uist, Scotland, separated by small geographical distances, during the breeding season in 2 consecutive years (2007 and 2008) to determine: (1) the extent of spatial variation in macroparasite communities, (2) whether this variation is consistent across years, and (3) whether habitat characteristics can explain differences in macroparasite community composition among populations. We found substantial variation in parasite communities among populations. Generally, measures of parasite community composition were higher in 2008 than in 2007, but this effect of year was consistent across populations, such that the relative differences in these measures among populations changed little between years. These data suggest that there is short-term stability in the spatial variation in macroparasite communities of North Uist sticklebacks. However, none of the 5 habitat characteristics measured explained spatial variation in any measure of parasite community composition.

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