Ectoparasites of small-mammals: determinants of community structure in South American savannah.
This study aimed to assess the contribution of hosts characteristics (rodents and marsupials) in the organization of ectoparasite communities present in woodland patches in western central Brazil. We verified the effect of host species, sex, body mass and vertical strata in addition to the role of seasonality on the ectoparasite composition, richness and abundance. The total sampling effort was 22 032 trap-nights equally distributed in 54 woodland patches. Variance partition and principal coordinate analysis were used to verify the existence of significant relationships between response variables and predictors. As expected, host species was the most important variable in ectoparasite community assembly. The composition, richness and abundance of mites and lice were highly influenced by host species, although higher for mites than for lice. Host body mass had a determining role on the richness and abundance of tick species. Vertical stratification and seasonality had weak influence, while the sex of the host had no influence on the organization of these communities. The results are closely related to the evolutionary characteristics of the species involved, as well as with local environmental characteristics of the study area.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal,CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria,Av. Roraima 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97110-970,Brazil.
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Sponchiado
Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução,CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria,Av. Roraima 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97110-970,Brazil.
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Melo
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia,Universidade de São Paulo,Av. Professor Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, 05508-270,Brazil.
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Martins
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia,Universidade de São Paulo,Av. Professor Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, 05508-270,Brazil.
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Krawczak
Laboratório de Parasitologia,Instituto Butantan,Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900,Brazil.
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Jacinavicius
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia,Universidade de São Paulo,Av. Professor Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, 05508-270,Brazil.
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Labruna
Laboratório de Parasitologia,Instituto Butantan,Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900,Brazil.
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Barros-Battesti
Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução,CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria,Av. Roraima 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97110-970,Brazil.
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Cáceres
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D065948:Grassland; D058507:Host Specificity; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008322:Mammals; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008925:Mites / Q000145:classification; D008003:Phthiraptera / Q000145:classification; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks / Q000145:classification
Didelphimorphia; Rodentia; lice; mites; savannah; ticks; variation partitioning