Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Density-dependent host selection in ectoparasites: An application of isodar theory to fleas parasitizing rodents

  • Population Ecology
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Parasites should make the same decisions that every animal makes regarding fitness reward. They can maximize reproductive success by selection of those habitats that guarantee the greatest fitness output. We consider the host population as a habitat of a parasite population. Consequently, hosts (=habitats) that differ quantitatively or qualitatively will support different numbers of parasites. The nature of habitat selection can be detected by isodars, lines along which habitat selection yields equivalent fitness reward. We applied this approach to study host selection of five fleas, each infesting two desert rodents. Xenopsylla conformis, Xenopsylla ramesis, Nosopsyllus iranus theodori and Stenoponia tripectinata medialis parasitize Gerbillus dasyurus and Meriones crassus. Synosternus cleopatrae pyramidis parasitizes Gerbillus andersoni allenbyi and Gerbillus pyramidum. Three fleas (X. conformis, X. ramesis and S. c. pyramidis) were able to perceive quantitative (amount of the resource; e.g. organic matter in the nest for flea larvae) and/or qualitative (pattern of resource acquisition; e.g. host defensiveness) differences between hosts. Two other fleas did not perceive between-host differences. X. conformis was a density-dependent host selector that showed sharp selectivity at low density. X. ramesis and S. c. pyramidis were density-independent host selectors with a direct correspondence of density with habitat quality. N. i. theodori and S. t. medialis were non-selectors with no relationship at all between density and host quality. The results of the application of the isodar theory suggest that ectoparasites, like other animals, behave as if they are able to make choices and decisions that favour environments in which their reproductive benefit is maximized.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramsky Z, Rosenzweig ML, Subach A (1997) Gerbils under threat of owl predation: isoclines and isodars. Oikos 78:81–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Bates JK (1961) Field studies on the behaviour of bird fleas. I. Behaviour of the adults of three species of bird fleas in the field. Parasitology 52:113–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Croll NA, Anderson RM, Gyerkos TW, Ghardian E (1982) The population biology and control of Ascaris lumbricoides in a rural community in Iran. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 76:187–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallivan GJ, Horak IG (1997) Body size and habitat as determinants of tick infestations of wild ungulates in South Africa. S Afr J Wildl Res 27:63–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez-Juricic E (2001) Density dependent habitat selection of corridors in a fragmented landscape. Ibis 143:278–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Fretwell SD, Lucas HL (1970) On territorial behavior and other factors influencing habitat distribution in birds. I. Theoretical development. Acta Biotheor 19:16–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly DW, Thompson CE (2000) Epidemiology and optimal foraging: modeling the ideal free distribution of insect vectors. Parasitology 120:319–327

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Khokhlova IS, Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Degen A (2001) Body mass and environment: a study in Negev rodents. Isr J Zool 47:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kotler BP, Brown JS, Subach A (1993) Mechanisms of species coexistance of optimal foragers: temporal partitioning by two species of sand dune gerbils. Oikos 67:548–556

    Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Khokhlova IS (2001) The effect of behavioural interactions on the exchange of flea (Siphonaptera) between two rodent species. J Vector Ecol 26:181–190

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Khokhlova IS, Ivanitskaya EI (1996a) Spatial structure of rodent community in the Ramon erosion cirque, Negev highlands (Israel). J Arid Environ 32: 319–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Khokhlova IS, Degen AA, Rogovin KA (1996b) On the biology of Sundevall's jird (Meriones crassus Sundevall) in Negev Highlands, Israel. Mammalia 60:375–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Medvedev SG, Vatschenok VS, Khokhlova IS (1997) Host-habitat relation as an important determinant of spatial distribution of flea assemblages (Siphonaptera) on rodents in the Negev Desert. Parasitology 114:159–173

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Medvedev SG, Khokhlova IS, Vatschenok VS (1998) Habitat-dependence of a parasite-host relationship: flea assemblages in two gerbil species of the Negev Desert. J Med Entomol 35:303–313

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Hastriter M, Medvedev SG, Shenbrot GI, Khokhlova IS, Vaschenok VS (1999) Additional records of fleas (Siphonaptera) on wild rodents in the southern part of Israel. Isr J Zool 45:333–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Burdelova NV, Shenbrot GI, Khokhlova IS (2002a) Annual cycles of four flea species (Siphonaptera) in the central Negev desert. Med Vet Entomol 16:266–276

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Khokhlova IS, Shenbrot GI (2002b) The effect of host density on ectoparasite distribution: an example with a desert rodent parasitized by fleas. Ecology 83:164–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Krasnov BR, Khokhlova IS, Oguzoglu I, Burdelova NV (2002c) Host discrimination by two desert fleas using an odour cue. Anim Behav 64:33–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuznetzov AA, Matrosov AN, Chyong LTV, Dat DT (1999) Movements of the synantropous rats and their fleas in the settlements of the southern Vietnam. Probl Osobo Opasnyh Infekt 79:59–65 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Legendre P, Legendre L (1998) Numerical ecology, 2nd English edn. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam

  • Lomnicki A (1988) Population ecology of individuals. Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.

  • Marshall AG (1981) The ecology of ectoparasite insects. Academic Press, London

  • Mooring MS, Benjamin JE, Harte CR, Herzog NB (2000) Testing the interspecific body size principle in ungulates: the smaller they come, the harder they groom. Anim Behav 60: 35–45

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morris DW (1987a) Ecological scale and habitat use. Ecology 68:362–369

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris DW (1987b) Spatial scale and the cost of density-dependent habitat selection. Evol Ecol 1:379–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris DW (1988) Habitat-dependent population regulation and community structure. Evol Ecol 2:253–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris DW (1989) Density-dependent habitat selection: testing the theory with fitness data. Evol Ecol 3:80–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris DW (1990) Temporal variation, habitat selection and community structure. Oikos 59:303–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris DW (1994) Habitat matching: alternatives and implications to populations and communities. Evol Ecol 8:387–406

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris DW (1996) Temporal and spatial population dynamics among patches connected by habitat selection. Oikos 75:207–219

    Google Scholar 

  • Ovadia O, Abramsky Z (1995) Density-dependent habitat selection: evaluation of the isodar method. Oikos 73:86–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Poulin R, Morand S (2000) The diversity of parasites. Quart Rev Biol 75:277–293

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prasad RS (1969) Influence of host on fecundity of the Indian rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis (Roths.). J Med Entomol 6:443–447

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez MA (1995) Habitat-specific estimates of competition in stream salmonids — a field-test of the isodar model of habitat selection. Evol Ecol 9:169–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig ML (1981) A theory of habitat selection. Ecology 62:327–335

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig ML (1989) Habitat selection as a source of biological diversity. Evol Ecol 1:315–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig ML (1991) Habitat selection and population interactions: the search of mechanism. Am Nat 137:5–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig ML, Abramsky Z (1985) Detecting density-dependent habitat selection. Am Nat 126:405–417

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shenbrot GI, Krasnov BR (2000) Habitat selection along an environmental gradient: theoretical models with an example of Negev Desert rodents. Evol Ecol Res 2:257–277

    Google Scholar 

  • Shenbrot GI, Krasnov BR, Khokhlova IS (1997) On the biology of Wagner's gerbil Gerbillus dasyurus (Wagner, 1842) (Rodentia: Gerbillidae) in the Negev Highlands, Israel. Mammalia 61:467–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Shenbrot GI, Krasnov BR, Rogovin KA (1999) Spatial ecology of desert rodent communities. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

  • Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1995) Biometry, 3rd edn. Freeman, New York

  • Sukhdeo MVK, Bansemir AD (1996) Critical resources that influence habitat selection decisions by gastrointestinal helminth parasites. Int J Parasitol 26:483–498

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sukhdeo MVK, Sukhdeo SC (1994) Optimal habitat selection by helminthes within the host environment. Parasitology 109:S41-S56

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland WJ (1996) From individual behaviour to population ecology. Oxford University Press, Oxford

  • Theodor O, Costa M (1967) A survey of the parasites of wild mammals and birds in Israel. I. Ectoparasites. Israel Academy of Science and Humanities, Jerusalem

  • Traub R (1972) The relationship between the spines, combs and other skeletal features of fleas (Siphonaptera) and the vestiture, affinities and habits of their hosts. J Med Entomol 9:601

    Google Scholar 

  • Tripet F, Richner H (1999) Density-dependent processes in the population dynamics of a bird ectoparasite Ceratophyllus gallinae. Ecology 80:1267–1277

    Google Scholar 

  • Vatschenok VS (1988) Fleas — vectors of pathogens causing diseases in humans and animals. Nauka, Leningrad (in Russian)

  • Webber LA, Edman JD (1972) Anti-mosquito behaviour of ciconiiform birds. Anim Behav 20:228–232

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate the helpful comments and suggestions of Douglas Morris (Canada), Zvika Abramsky (Israel), and David Ward (South Africa) who read an earlier version of the manuscript. We thank two anonymous referees for their most helpful comments on the manuscript. This study was partly supported by the Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 663/01–1 to B. R. K., I. S. K. and G. I. S.). This is publication no. 140 of the Ramon Science Centre and no. 363 of the Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ramon Science Centre and Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 194, 80600, Mizpe Ramon, Israel

    Boris R. Krasnov & Georgy I. Shenbrot

  2. The Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Israel

    Irina S. Khokhlova

Authors
  1. Boris R. Krasnov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Irina S. Khokhlova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Georgy I. Shenbrot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Boris R. Krasnov.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Krasnov, B.R., Khokhlova, I.S. & Shenbrot, G.I. Density-dependent host selection in ectoparasites: An application of isodar theory to fleas parasitizing rodents. Oecologia 134, 365–372 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-002-1122-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-002-1122-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation