A comprehensive analysis of the biogeography of the thelastomatoid pinworms from Australian burrowing cockroaches (Blaberidae: Geoscapheinae, Panesthiinae): no evidence of coevolution.
We report 21 thelastomatoid species parasitizing 31 described and 5 undescribed geoscapheine and panesthiine cockroaches, representing all but 1 of the known species of these subfamilies in Australia. The nematodes have 3 distinct patterns of host distribution: dominant, moderate and rare. The 4 dominant species, Cordonicola gibsoni, Leidynemella fusiformis, Travassosinema jaidenae and Aoruroides queenslandensis, are highly prevalent, found in nearly all host species examined, and broadly distributed. The 8 moderate species have lower prevalences but are still widely distributed. Many of these species are more common in one host subfamily than the other. The remaining 9 rare species have highly restricted host and geographical distributions. Six of the 21 species are exclusive to geoscapheines, 5 to panesthiines and 10 are shared. These patterns suggest that most of the reported thelastomatoid species are generalists rather than specialists, that host-specificity within this group is low and that co-evolutionary speciation has had little, if any, impact on structuring the thelastomatoid fauna of Australian burrowing cockroaches. In a broader context, this study provides the first comprehensive examination of the role of coevolutionary speciation and host specificity in regulating the distribution of pinworms in arthropods.
Jex
A R
AR
School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. ajex@unimelb.edu.au
Schneider
M A
MA
Rose
H A
HA
Cribb
T H
TH
D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D044822:Biodiversity; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000469:parasitology*; D004757:Enterobius / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D005843:Geography; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions