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Reproductive performance in generalist haematophagous ectoparasites: maternal environment, rearing conditions or both?

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Abstract

We tested whether and how the maternal environment (i.e. host species exploited by a mother), rearing conditions (i.e. host species exploited by her offspring) or both (i.e. matches and mismatches in host species exploited by a mother and her offspring) affect reproductive performance in the offspring. We experimentally manipulated maternal and rearing environments in two generalist fleas (Xenopsylla conformis and Xenopsylla ramesis) implementing a factorial cross-rearing design. Mothers exploited either the principal host (PH) or auxiliary hosts that were either closely (CAH) or distantly related (DAH) to the PH. After six generations of infesting a given host species, we cross-reared fleas within and between host species. These fleas reproduced and we measured their reproductive performance both quantitatively (i.e. egg number) and qualitatively (i.e. egg size, development time, body size of the next generation). We found that identity of the host a flea was reared on (=actual host) had the strongest effect on its performance. Individuals reared on the PH performed considerably better than those reared on either auxiliary host. Moreover, fleas reared on a CAH performed better than those reared on a DAH. Actual host identity also had a stronger effect on reproductive performance in X. ramesis than in X. conformis. Nevertheless, there was no difference in performance between match and mismatch maternal and actual host identities. We conclude that rearing environment has the strongest effect on fitness in generalist parasites. Moreover, phylogenetic distance between an auxiliary host and the PH determines the level of suitability of the former.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (Grant number 149/17 to BRK and ISK). LVDM received financial support from the Blaustein Center for Scientific Cooperation and the French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands. EMW received financial support from the Blaustein Center for Scientific Cooperation. This is publication no. 1018 of the Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel

    Luther van der Mescht, Elizabeth M. Warburton & Boris R. Krasnov

  2. Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel

    Luther van der Mescht & Irina S. Khokhlova

  3. Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa

    Luther van der Mescht

  4. A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, Moscow, Russia, 119071

    Elena N. Surkova

Authors
  1. Luther van der Mescht
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  2. Irina S. Khokhlova
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  3. Elena N. Surkova
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  4. Elizabeth M. Warburton
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  5. Boris R. Krasnov
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Correspondence to Luther van der Mescht.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All experimental procedures met the requirements of the 1994 Law for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Experiments on Animals) of the State of Israel.

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van der Mescht, L., Khokhlova, I.S., Surkova, E.N. et al. Reproductive performance in generalist haematophagous ectoparasites: maternal environment, rearing conditions or both?. Parasitol Res 118, 2087–2096 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06353-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06353-3

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