Abundance and stability are species traits for four chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae, Philopteridae) on feral pigeons,Columba livia(Aves: Columbiformes: Columbidae)

Abstract

Population parameters of ectoparasites on feral pigeons,Columba liviaGmelin (Aves: Columbiformes: Columbidae), were estimated from 1995–2012 in southern Manitoba, Canada. The ectoparasites are chewing lice (Phthiraptera): Philopteridae –Campanulotes compar(Burmeister),Columbicola columbae(Linnaeus), andColoceras tovornikaeTendeiro; Menoponidae –Hohorstiella lata(Piaget). We tested the hypotheses that both abundance and population stability are species-specific traits. Over 10 years, the four species of lice had distinct population dynamics.Campanulotes comparandC. columbaewere more abundant thanC. tovornikaeandH. lata, had higher male to female sex ratios and higher ratios of nymphs to females, different levels of aggregation, and more stable populations.Campanulotes comparwas more prevalent thanC. columbaeand its prevalence was more stable, and the two species also showed differences in the levels and stabilities of male and nymph to female ratios.Coloceras tovornikaehad a higher prevalence and male to female sex ratio thanH. lata, but the two species showed similar levels of stability for these parameters. The level of stability of these populations was relatively high compared with many other organisms, and in particular higher than for plant ectoparasites (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Although the four species occupy similar habitats, often on the same bird, and three of the four feed in a similar way, the population biology of each species is distinct. The life history traits that lead to these differences have yet to be determined.

Stability of native and exotic lady beetle populations in a diverse landscape

“…Taylor and Woiwod (1980) hypothesized that the key life history factors that cause species-specificity are the particular density-dependent processes of each species. Population variability as a speciesspecific trait has also been observed for other groups of insect, fish, and bird species resident in the same habitats (Lawton and Gaston 1989, Johnson and Crowley 1992, Wolda 1992, Hogstad 1993, Kozlov et al 2010, Rouyer et al 2010, Lamb et al 2011, Galloway and Lamb 2014, Lamb and Boivin 2017a, b, Lamb and Galloway 2018. Many species have now been shown to exhibit characteristic density-dependent processes that could lead to species-specific levels of stability in the face of similar environmental variation (insects, Alyokhin et al 2005, Bonsall et al 2007, Davis et al 2014fish, Einum et al 2003, Dochtermann and Peacock 2012, Henderson and Magurran 2014.…”

“…, Lamb et al. , Galloway and Lamb , Lamb and Boivin , b, Lamb and Galloway ). Many species have now been shown to exhibit characteristic density‐dependent processes that could lead to species‐specific levels of stability in the face of similar environmental variation (insects, Alyokhin et al.…”

“…, Einum et al. , Galloway and Lamb , Henderson and Magurran ). Persistence might be expected to decline as population variability increases (Inchausti and Halley ), but in the one experimental study of this relationship, persistence and population variability evolved separately in Drosophila melanogaster (Dey et al.…”

“…The same is true for tropical lady beetle species (Coccinellidae; Bonsall et al 2007) and for fish species in a diverse community (Henderson and Magurran 2014). Often species with similar life histories, living in the same habitat, and exposed to the same environmental variation, nevertheless exhibit species-specific levels of population variability (Lamb et al 2011, Galloway and Lamb 2014, Lamb and Galloway 2016, Lamb and Boivin 2017a.…”

“…Often species with similar life histories, living in the same habitat, and exposed to the same environmental variation, nevertheless exhibit species‐specific levels of population variability (Lamb et al. , Galloway and Lamb , Lamb and Galloway , Lamb and Boivin , b).…”