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Causal mechanisms underlying host specificity in bat ectoparasites

  • Behavioural Ecology
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Abstract

In parasites, host specificity may result either from restricted dispersal capacity or from fixed coevolutionary host-parasite adaptations. Knowledge of those proximal mechanisms leading to particular host specificity is fundamental to understand host-parasite interactions and potential coevolution of parasites and hosts. The relative importance of these two mechanisms was quantified through infection and cross-infection experiments using mites and bats as a model. Monospecific pools of parasitic mites (Spinturnix myoti and S. andegavinus) were subjected either to individual bats belonging to their traditional, native bat host species, or to another substitute host species within the same bat genus (Myotis). The two parasite species reacted differently to these treatments. S. myoti exhibited a clear preference for, and had a higher fitness on, its native host, Myotis myotis. In contrast, S. andegavinus showed no host choice, although its fitness was higher on its native host M. daubentoni. The causal mechanisms mediating host specificity can apparently differ within closely related host-parasite systems.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Névéna Basic, Brigitte Reutter and Sylvain Ursenbacher for help with fieldwork. We warmly thank Sara Helms Cahan for helpful comments and improving the English. This study was supported by a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation to P.V., R.A. and P.C. (3100-052584.97 and 3100-061450.00/1). The experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which the experiments were performed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biology Building, 1015 , Lausanne, Switzerland

    Maud S. Giorgi, Frédéric Guillaume, Sébastien Nusslé, Carlo Ossola, Peter Vogel & Philippe Christe

  2. Zoological Institute—Conservation Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Raphaël Arlettaz

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  1. Maud S. Giorgi
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  2. Raphaël Arlettaz
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  3. Frédéric Guillaume
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  4. Sébastien Nusslé
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  5. Carlo Ossola
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  6. Peter Vogel
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  7. Philippe Christe
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Correspondence to Maud S. Giorgi.

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Giorgi, M.S., Arlettaz, R., Guillaume, F. et al. Causal mechanisms underlying host specificity in bat ectoparasites. Oecologia 138, 648–654 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1475-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1475-1

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