Anatomical location of Periglischrus iheringi(Acari: Spinturnicidae) associated with the great fruit-eating bat (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae).
Spinturnicid mites are ectoparasites that infest the wings of bats, and species of the genus Periglischrus Kolenati, 1857 are associated exclusively with bats of the family Phyllostomidae. We tested the hypothesis that a long-term evolutionary association led P. iheringi to choose very specific wing locations to infest the great fruit-eating bats, Artibeus lituratus. Seven anatomical wing regions and the uropatagium from 140 bats were analyzed and a total of 78 parasites were collected. Periglischrus iheringi had a significant preference for the plagiopatagium and dactylopatgium major wing regions (i.e., large, proximal regions) and infestation was directly correlated to area (r=0.9744). However, other factors may also influence mite choice, such as higher and more stable temperature and humidity, vascularization and lower risk of displacement.
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, BR.
Juliana
J
Almeida
Laboratório de Referência Nacional para Vetores das Riquetsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR.
Nicolau
N
Serra-Freire
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, BR.
Adriano
A
Peracchi
D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008925:Mites / Q000502:physiology*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000469:parasitology*