Haemaphysalis (Dermaphysalis) nesomys subgen. et sp. n. (Ixodoidea, Ixodidae), a Leathery Parasite of Nesomys rufus Peters (Rodentia) in Madagascar

Hoogstraal, Harry; Uilenberg, Gerrit; Klein, Jean-Marie

doi:10.2307/3276368

Cited by 6 publications

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“…A great effort was undertaken by Harry Hoogstraal in the middle of the last century to characterize the haemaphysaline fauna of Madagascar. The original descriptions of H. elongata and H. simplex [ 64 ], H. obtusa [ 65 ] and H. hoodi madagascariensis [ 66 ] were complemented by the description of nine new species ( H. anoplos , H. eupleres , H. fossae , H. lemuris , H. nesomys , H. simplicima , H. subelongata , H. theilerae and H. tiptoni ) [ 39 – 43 ]. More recent studies [ 20 – 22 , 67 ] identified collected tick specimens based on these descriptions and complementary cox 1 gene sequences were generated for H. lemuris by Blanco et al [ 68 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specimens damaged in relevant features were excluded from morphological measurements of the respective characteristic, leading to unequal sample sizes. Species identification was based on morphological characteristics if possible (ticks: [ 39 – 43 ]; lice: [ 44 – 46 ]; mites: [ 47 – 51 ]) and was complemented by an additional genetic analysis of a subset of samples.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ectoparasite communities of small-bodied Malagasy primates: seasonal and socioecological influences on tick, mite and lice infestation of Microcebus murinus and M. ravelobensis in northwestern Madagascar

et al. 2018

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BackgroundEctoparasitic infections are of particular interest for endangered wildlife, as ectoparasites are potential vectors for inter- and intraspecific pathogen transmission and may be indicators to assess the health status of endangered populations. Here, ectoparasite dynamics in sympatric populations of two Malagasy mouse lemur species, Microcebus murinus and M. ravelobensis, were investigated over an 11-month period. Furthermore, the animals’ body mass was determined as an indicator of body condition, reflecting seasonal and environmental challenges. Living in sympatry, the two study species experience the same environmental conditions, but show distinct differences in socioecology: Microcebus murinus sleeps in tree holes, either solitarily (males) or sometimes in groups (females only), whereas M. ravelobensis sleeps in mixed-sex groups in more open vegetation.ResultsBoth mouse lemur species hosted ticks (Haemaphysalis sp.), lice (Lemurpediculus sp.) and mites (Trombiculidae gen. sp. and Laelaptidae gen. sp.). Host species, as well as temporal variations (month and year), were identified as the main factors influencing infestation. Tick infestation peaked in the late dry season and was significantly more often observed in M. murinus (P = 0.011), while lice infestation was more likely in M. ravelobensis (P < 0.001) and showed a continuous increase over the course of the dry season. Genetic analyses identified Lemurpediculus sp. infesting both mouse lemur species. Ticks morphologically conform to H. lemuris, but genetic analysis showed a clear differentiation of the specimens collected in this study, suggesting a potentially new tick species. Host body mass decreased from the early to the late dry season, indicating nutritional stress during this period, which may render individuals more susceptible to parasitic infections.ConclusionsSeasonal differences and species-specific variations in sleeping site ecology in terms of sleeping site type and sociality were determined as key factors influencing ectoparasitism in M. murinus and M. ravelobensis. This needs to be taken into account when evaluating ectoparasite infestations at a given time point. The detection of the same parasite species on two closely related and sympatric host species furthermore indicates a potential pathway for disease transmission, not only within but also between lemur species.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3034-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%