Journal article
Low host specificity and lack of parasite avoidance by immature ticks in Brazilian birds
Parasitology research (1987), v 119(7), pp 2039-2045
01 Jul 2020
PMID: 32377908
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Ticks are ectoparasites that feed on blood of a broad taxonomic range of terrestrial and flying vertebrates and are distributed across a wide range of environmental conditions. Here, we explore the biotic and abiotic factors on infestation probability of ticks of the genus Amblyomma and assess the degree of host specificity based on analysis of 1028 birds surveyed across Brazil. We show that tick infestation rates exhibited considerable variation across the 235 avian species analyzed and that the probability of an individual bird being parasitized by immature ticks (larvae and nymphs) increased with annual precipitation. Host phylogeny and two host ecological traits known to promote tick exposure (body mass and foraging behavior) did not predict infestation probability. Moreover, immature ticks displayed a low degree of host specificity at the family level. Lastly, tick occurrence in birds carrying infection with avian malaria and related parasites did not differ from those free of these haemosporidian parasites, indicating a lack of parasite avoidance by immature ticks. Our findings demonstrate that tick occurrence in birds across Brazilian biomes responds to environmental factors rather than ecological and evolutionary host attributes.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Low host specificity and lack of parasite avoidance by immature ticks in Brazilian birds
- Creators
- Alan Fecchio - Universidade Federal de Mato GrossoThiago F. Martins - Universidade de São PauloJeffrey A. Bell - University of North DakotaGabriel M. De La Torre - Federal University of ParanáJoao B. Pinho - Univ Fed Mato Grosso, Programa Posgrad Ecol & Conservacao Biodiversidad, Cuiaba, MT, BrazilJason D. Weckstein - Drexel UniversityVasyl V. Tkach - University of North DakotaMarcelo B. Labruna - Universidade de São PauloRaphael Dias - University of Brasília
- Publication Details
- Parasitology research (1987), v 119(7), pp 2039-2045
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias e Tecnologia em Areas Umidas (INAU) Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) DEB-1503804; DEB-1120734 / US National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) PNPD scholarship
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES); Ornithology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000530780400005
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85085116670
- Other Identifier
- 991019168507004721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Parasitology