Ornithophilic vectors of avian hematozoa in insular Newfoundland

1975 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1241-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon F. Bennett ◽  
Richard F. Coombs
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Circumstantial Evidence ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Bird Population ◽  
Vector Density ◽  
Highly Efficient ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Parasite Relationship ◽  
Avalon Peninsula

Ornithophilic vectors of avian hematozoa on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, were determined to be Simulium latipes and S. aureum for Leucocytozoon, Culicoides stilobezzioides for Haemoproteus, and possibly, on circumstantial evidence, Aedes punctor for Plasmodium. Simuliids and ceratopogonids were captured following attraction to bird bait most frequently at heights of 3–4 m in the forest canopy, in the evening, during July and August. Vector density was extremely low when compared to elsewhere in North America, but the highly efficient host–vector–parasite relationship maintained a high prevalence of blood parasites in the bird population.

scholarly journals Invasive lizard has fewer parasites than native congener

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Tomé ◽  
D. James Harris ◽  
Ana Perera ◽  
Isabel Damas-Moreira
Keyword(s):  
18S Rrna ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Average Intensity ◽  
Invasive Potential ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Podarcis Siculus ◽  
Species Establishment ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Italian Wall Lizard

AbstractInvasive species can carry parasites to introduced locations, which may be key to understand the success or failure of species establishment and the invasive potential of introduced species. We compared the prevalence and infection levels of haemogregarine blood parasites between two sympatric congeneric species in Lisbon, Portugal: the invasive Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) and the native green Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis virescens). The two species had significant differences in their infection levels: while P. virescens had high prevalence of infection (69.0%), only one individual of P. siculus was infected (3.7%), and while P. virescens exhibited an average intensity of 1.36%, the infected P. siculus individual had an infection rate of only 0.04%. Genetic analyses of 18S rRNA identified two different haemogregarine haplotypes in P. virescens. Due to the low levels of infection, we were not able to amplify parasite DNA from the infected P. siculus individual, although it was morphologically similar to those found in P. virescens. Since other studies also reported low levels of parasites in P. siculus, we hypothesize that this general lack of parasites could be one of the factors contributing to its competitive advantage over native lizard species and introduction success.

Genetic Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii DNA Samples Isolated From Humans Living in North America: An Unexpected High Prevalence of Atypical Genotypes

2018 ◽  
Vol 218 (11) ◽  
pp. 1783-1791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christelle Pomares ◽  
Sébastien Devillard ◽  
Tyson H Holmes ◽  
Tudor Rares Olariu ◽  
Cynthia J Press ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
North America ◽  
Genetic Characterization ◽  
High Prevalence

scholarly journals Blood parasites in vectors reveal a united blackfly community in the upper canopy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayden Chakarov ◽  
Helge Kampen ◽  
Anja Wiegmann ◽  
Doreen Werner ◽  
Staffan Bensch
Keyword(s):  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Avian Host ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasite ◽  
Host Group ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasites ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Host Parasite

Abstract Background: The behaviour of blood-sucking arthropods is a crucial determinant of blood protozoan distribution and hence of host-parasite coevolution, but it is very challenging to study in the wild. The molecular identification of parasite lineages in vectors can be a useful key to understand the behaviour and transmission patterns realised by these vectors. Methods: In this study, we collected blackflies around nests of three raptor species in the upper forest canopy in central Europe and examined the presence of vertebrate DNA and haemosporidian parasites in them. We molecularly analysed 156 blackfly individuals, their vertebrate blood meals, and the haemosporidian parasite lineages they carried. Results: We identified nine species of Simulium blackflies, largely belonging to the subgenera Nevermannia and Eusimulium. Only 1% of the collected specimens was visibly engorged, and only 4% contained remains of host DNA. However, in 29% of the blackflies Leucocytozoon lineages were identified, which is evidence of a previous blood meal on an avian host. Based on the known vertebrate hosts of the recorded Leucocytozoon lineages, we can infer that large and/or abundant birds, such as thrushes, crows, pigeons, birds of prey, owls and tits are the main targets of ornithophilic blackflies in the canopy. Blackfly species contained similar proportions of host group-specific parasite lineages and thus do not appear to be associated with particular host groups. Conclusions: The Leucocytozoon clade infecting thrushes, crows, and pigeons present in most represented blackfly species suggests a lack of association between hosts and blackflies, which can increase the probability of host switches of blood parasites. However, the composition of the simuliid species differed between nests of common buzzards, goshawks and red kites. This segregation can be explained by coinciding habitat preferences between host and vector, and may lead to the fast speciation of Leucocytozoon parasites. Thus, subtle ecological preferences and lack of host preference of vectors in the canopy may enable both parasite diversification and host switches, and enforce a habitat-dependent evolution of avian malaria parasites and related haemosporidia.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Haemoproteus sp. in Galápagos blue-footed boobies: effects on health and reproduction

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
LARISA LEE-CRUZ ◽  
ANDREW A. CUNNINGHAM ◽  
PAMELA MARTÍNEZ ◽  
MARILYN CRUZ ◽  
SIMON J. GOODMAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Physiological Condition ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Infection Status ◽  
Chick Growth ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Blood Smears ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
The 1960S

SUMMARYPopulations of blue-footed boobies in the Galápagos Islands have declined by at least 50% compared with numbers recorded during the 1960s. Recently, concern has been expressed about potential adverse effects of introduced blood parasites; in particular, malarial parasites (i.e.Plasmodiumsp.), which are frequently pathogenic and can cause mortality and morbidity in birds, and blood parasites of the genusHaemoproteus, which can reduce fitness. We screened blue-footed boobies at six breeding colonies within Galápagos for both genera of parasite. At two sites, we also investigated whether there was any relationship between infection status and physiological condition or breeding success. We found a high prevalence ofHaemoproteusspp. in adults and chicks using PCR, although none was found on blood smears. We found no evidence ofPlasmodium.Effects of parasitism on the condition of birds were limited. Also, there was no evidence that infection withHaemoproteusadversely affected breeding success or chick growth. Our results suggest that poor success of breeding birds was not strongly associated withHaemoproteusinfection. However, regular colony monitoring and examination of dead birds are necessary to assess whether acuteHaemoproteusinfection might be responsible for some mortality, particularly of chicks.

Zachvatkinibates (Acari: Oribatida: Mycobatidae) of North America, with descriptions of sexually dimorphic species

2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie M. Behan-Pelletier ◽  
Barbara Eamer
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
North America ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Oribatid Mite ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Littoral Habitat ◽  
Dermal Glands ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractThe oribatid mite genus Zachvatkinibates, found in littoral, forest canopy, and forest litter habitats, includes some species showing distinct sexual dimorphism in the octotaxic system of dermal glands, and others lacking this dimorphism. Three new species in this genus are described on the basis of adults, each of which shows species-specific sexual dimorphism: Z. nortonisp. nov. and Z. schatzisp. nov. from beach debris in British Columbia, Canada, and Z. shaldybinaesp. nov. from the littoral in eastern and northeastern Canada. We discuss the association of sexual dimorphism with the littoral habitat of species in this genus and, more generally, the expression of sexually dimorphic porose areas in Ceratozetoidea. We revise the diagnosis for the genus Zachvatkinibates and present a revised key for adults of Zachvatkinibates species of North America north of Mexico.

scholarly journals Survey of Blood Parasites in Two Forest Owls, Northern Saw-whet Owls and Flammulated Owls, of Western North America

2008 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 475-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynda L. Leppert ◽  
Alfred M. Dufty ◽  
Sarah Stock ◽  
M. David Oleyar ◽  
Greg S. Kaltenecker
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Western North America

scholarly journals Distributional Status of an Introduced Land Snail Discus rotundatus (Rotund Disc, Mollusca: Discidae) in Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
pp. 236
Author(s):  
Robert G Forsyth ◽  
John E Maunder ◽  
Donald F McAlpine ◽  
Ronald G Noseworthy
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
North America ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
First Record ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Avalon Peninsula

First collected in North America in 1937 on the Avalon Peninsula of the Island of Newfoundland, the introduced, primarily European land snail, Discus rotundatus, has now been recorded from the Island of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. We review all known records from Canada, demonstrate that D. rotundatus is more widespread than was previously recognized on the Island of Newfoundland, and report the first record from New Brunswick.

scholarly journals Genetic characterisation of Toxoplasma gondii in wildlife from North America revealed widespread and high prevalence of the fourth clonal type

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (11) ◽  
pp. 1139-1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Dubey ◽  
G.V. Velmurugan ◽  
C. Rajendran ◽  
M.J. Yabsley ◽  
N.J. Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
North America ◽  
Genetic Characterisation ◽  
Clonal Type ◽  
High Prevalence

Global warming will reshuffle the areas of high prevalence and richness of three genera of avian blood parasites

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 2406-2416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antón Pérez‐Rodríguez ◽  
Iván Hera ◽  
Sofía Fernández‐González ◽  
Javier Pérez‐Tris
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Avian Blood ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Avian Blood Parasites
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