title: Ecological implications on the aggregation of Amblyomma fuscum (Acari: Ixodidae) on Thrichomys laurentius (Rodentia: Echimyidae), in northeastern Brazil.
abstract: We investigated the Amblyomma fuscum load on a pullulating wild rodent population and the environmental and biological factors influencing the tick load on the hosts. One hundred and three individuals of Thrichomys laurentius were caught in an Atlantic forest fragment in northeastern Brazil, as part of a longitudinal survey on ticks infesting non-volant small mammals. Ticks (n = 342) were found on 45 individuals and the overall mean intensity of infestation was 7.6 ticks per infested rodent. Ticks were highly aggregated in the host population and the negative binomial distribution model provides a statistically satisfactory fit. The aggregated distribution was influenced by sex and age of the host. The microhabitat preference by T. laurentius probably increases contact opportunities between hosts and aggregated infesting stages of the ticks and represents important clues about the habitat suitability for A. fuscum.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Population Environnement Développement, Université de Provence, Case 10, 13331, Cedex 3, Marseille, France. filipe.alessio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Filipe Martins
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Aléssio
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dantas-Torres
authors.forename: Daniel Barreto
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Marie-Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lizée
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Vianna
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Marvulo
authors.forename: Thiago Fernandes
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Marcelo Bahia
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
authors.forename: Jean Carlos Ramos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mauffrey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012377:Rodentia / Q000469:parasitology*; D012621:Seasons; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*