Host Responses to Ectoparasites: Food Compensation by Parent Blue Tits

Tripet, Frédéric; Richner, Heinz

doi:10.2307/3545617

Cited by 154 publications

(166 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Hurtrez-Boussès et al (1998), applying a different method of monitoring nest visiting by adult tits, found a very clear positive direct effect of parasite load on nest visiting rate in the same population of Blue Tits. Enhanced parental feeding effort in response to parasitic pressure probably constitutes some compensation to the nestlings (Tripet & Richner 1997). A similar effect was reported for Marsh Tits Parus palustris infested by Protocalliphora falcozi (Wesołowski 2001), and for Algerian Blue Tits infested by several different ectoparasites, including Protocalliphora (Bouslama et al 2002).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…Consequently, the influence of infestation on nestling performance may widely differ (see Kędra et al 1996 for review). Flea-infested Great Tit nestlings were lighter than parasitefree ones in trophically poor area, whereas no difference was shown in an oak forest rich in food (Christie et al 1996, Tripet & Richner 1997. Dufva & Allander (1996) and Allander (1998) showed that the influence of fleas on Great Tit nestling body mass may depend on weather conditions, the influence being stronger in years with lower temperature and higher rainfall (see also Merino & Potti 1996.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is consistent with the reports of Hurtrez-Boussès et al (1997a, 1997b, 1999 for the same Blue Tit population, that blowflies influence nestling body sizes, condition and fledging success. Tripet & Richner (1997) suggested that the success of parents in compensating nestling damage caused by parasites depends on intensity of infestation, weather and food abundance. Consequently, the influence of infestation on nestling performance may widely differ (see Kędra et al 1996 for review).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects ofProtocalliphoraParasites on Nestling Food Composition in Corsican Blue TitsParus caeruleus: Consequences for Nestling Performance

et al. 2004

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects ofProtocalliphoraParasites on Nestling Food Composition in Corsican Blue TitsParus caeruleus: Consequences for Nestling Performance

et al. 2004

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“…Great tits are small, holenesting passerine birds and one of the main hosts of the ectoparasitic hen flea (Ceratophyllus gallinae; Tripet & Richner 1997a. Hen fleas hibernate in the old nesting material or immigrate into the new nests in early spring.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ectoparasite–modulated deposition of maternal androgens in great tit eggs

Tschirren

Richner

Schwabl

2004

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

Self Cite

107

109

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Maternal yolk androgens can promote growth and competitive abilities of nestling birds but are also suggested to increase susceptibility to parasites or suppress immune function. We tested the hypothesis that females exposed to ectoparasites during egg formation will adjust the content of androgens in the yolk. We predicted that when anticipating high levels of parasitism, females deposit (i) less androgens into all eggs of their clutch and (ii) smaller amounts of androgens in eggs late in the laying sequence to facilitate brood reduction.In a field experiment we exposed female great tits (Parus major) to hen fleas (Ceratophyllus gallinae), or kept them free of ectoparasites prior to egg laying. We collected the eggs and measured yolk concentrations of androstenedione (A4), testosterone (T) and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by radioimmunoassay. Among clutches, eggs of ectoparasite-exposed females contained significantly less A4 and tended to contain less T, whereas DHT content was unaffected. Within clutches, content of A4 and T increased significantly with laying order whereas DHT content significantly decreased. These patterns were unaffected by ectoparasites.In summary, our results provide no evidence for hormone-based facilitation of brood reduction under ectoparasite exposure but support the hypothesis that females exposed to ectoparasites reduce levels of T and its precursor A4 in yolk and might thereby reduce the negative effects of parasites on offspring.

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“…Time-dependent mortality resulting from nest ectoparasites is a powerful selection pressure on nestling growth and developmental periods, and maternal strategies that minimize this mortality range from transfer of growth-affecting and immunological substances into eggs (15,16) and greater provisioning of infested offspring (17,18) to selection of parasite-free nest sites or parasite-repellent nest material (19,20). Moreover, egg-laying females are often exposed to the same nest ectoparasites that will attack their nestlings, enabling females to induce parasite responses and resistance in their offspring.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex-biased maternal effects reduce ectoparasite-induced mortality in a passerine bird

Badyaev

Hamstra

et al. 2006

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Duration of developmental stages in animals evolves under contrasting selection pressures of age-specific mortality and growth requirements. When relative importance of these effects varies across environments, evolution of developmental periods is expected to be slow. In birds, maternal effects on egg-laying order and offspring growth, two proximate determinants of nestling period, should enable rapid adjustment of developmental periods to even widely fluctuating mortality rates. We test this hypothesis in a population of house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) breeding under two contrasting mortality risks: (i) a nest mite-free condition when selection on offspring survival favors a longer time in the nest; and (ii) a mite infestation when selection favors a shorter nest tenure. Mites affected survival of sons more than daughters, and females breeding under mite infestation laid male eggs last and female eggs first in the clutch, thereby reducing sons' exposure to mites and associated mortality. Strong sex bias in laying order and growth patterns enabled mite-infested offspring to achieve similar fledging size, despite a shorter nest tenure, compared with mitefree conditions. In mite-infested nests, male nestlings hatched at larger sizes, completed growth earlier, and had faster initial growth compared with mite-free nests, whereas mite-infested females grew more slowly but for a longer period of time. A combination of heavily sex-biased laying order and sex differences in growth patterns lowered mite-induced mortality by >10% in both sexes. Thus, strong maternal effects can account for frequently observed, but theoretically unexpected, concordance of mortality risks and growth patterns, especially under fluctuating ecological conditions. life history ͉ logistic growth ͉ parasites ͉ sexual dimorphism

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Host Responses to Ectoparasites: Food Compensation by Parent Blue Tits

Cited by 154 publications

References 24 publications

Effects ofProtocalliphoraParasites on Nestling Food Composition in Corsican Blue TitsParus caeruleus: Consequences for Nestling Performance

Effects ofProtocalliphoraParasites on Nestling Food Composition in Corsican Blue TitsParus caeruleus: Consequences for Nestling Performance

Ectoparasite–modulated deposition of maternal androgens in great tit eggs

Sex-biased maternal effects reduce ectoparasite-induced mortality in a passerine bird

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