Mites and birds: diversity, parasitism and coevolution

Proctor, H. C.; Owens, Ian P. F.

doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(00)01924-8

Cited by 251 publications

(207 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…We weighed each nest, assessed the nature and quantity of materials it was composed of, and quantified the number of ectoparasites it contained using Berlese funnels for 24 h under constant temperature and illumination (from a 60 W incandescent lamp; [21,22]). Mites were collected in vials containing 70 per cent ethanol and counted under the microscope as above.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporation of cigarette butts into nests reduces nest ectoparasite load in urban birds: new ingredients for an old recipe?

2013

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Birds are known to respond to nest-dwelling parasites by altering behaviours. Some bird species, for example, bring fresh plants to the nest, which contain volatile compounds that repel parasites. There is evidence that some birds living in cities incorporate cigarette butts into their nests, but the effect (if any) of this behaviour remains unclear. Butts from smoked cigarettes retain substantial amounts of nicotine and other compounds that may also act as arthropod repellents. We provide the first evidence that smoked cigarette butts may function as a parasite repellent in urban bird nests. The amount of cellulose acetate from butts in nests of two widely distributed urban birds was negatively associated with the number of nest-dwelling parasites. Moreover, when parasites were attracted to heat traps containing smoked or non-smoked cigarette butts, fewer parasites reached the former, presumably due to the presence of nicotine. Because urbanization changes the abundance and type of resources upon which birds depend, including nesting materials and plants involved in self-medication, our results are consistent with the view that urbanization imposes new challenges on birds that are dealt with using adaptations evolved elsewhere.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporation of cigarette butts into nests reduces nest ectoparasite load in urban birds: new ingredients for an old recipe?

2013

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“…Due to their small size, autonomous dispersal is not effective and most mites utilize either wind or habitat-specific vectors as dispersal vehicles (Mitchell, 1970). Many mites are known to associate with birds for phoresy (Krantz & Walter, 2009;Proctor & Owens, 2000) and this relationship has been documented between birds and mites associated with Protea species (Collins & Rebelo, 1987;N. Theron, pers.…”

Section: Long-distance Dispersal Between Distant K Proteae Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is possible that successive migration events between interspersed K. proteae populations or transfer of mites between birds (Proctor & Owens, 2000) could lead to gene flow over distances far exceeding the capacity of one pollinator. In fact, multiple introductions of K.…”

Section: Long-distance Dispersal Between Distant K Proteae Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-distance dispersal and recolonization of a fire-destroyed niche by a mite-associated fungus

et al. 2015

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The Fynbos Biome in the Core Cape Subregion of South Africa is prone to recurrent fires that can clear vast areas of vegetation. Between periods of fire, ophiostomatoid fungi colonize the fruiting structures of serotinous Protea species through arthropod-mediated dispersal. Using microsatellite markers, this study considered the process whereby a Protea-associated ophiostomatoid fungus, Knoxdaviesia proteae, recolonizes a burnt area. The genetic diversity, composition and structure of fungal populations from young P. repens plants in a recently burnt area were compared to populations from the adjacent, unburnt Protea population. The only difference between K. proteae populations from the two areas was found in the number of private alleles, which was significantly higher in the unburnt population. The population structure, although weak, indicated that most K. proteae 1 individuals from recently burnt areas originated from the unburnt population. However, individuals from unsampled source populations were also detected. This, together with the lack of isolation-by-distance across the landscape, suggested that long-distance dispersal is important for K. proteae to recolonize burnt areas. Similarly, the high level of gene flow and low differentiation observed between two distantly separated K. proteae populations also supported the existence of long-distance dispersal. The genetic cohesiveness of populations over long distances and the genetic diversity within populations could be attributed to frequent multiple fungal migration events mediated primarily by arthropods but, potentially, also by birds.

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“…Ectoparasites have been found to limit color expression (Tschirren et al 2003) and behavioral display (Doucet and Montgomerie 2003); however, the degree to which ectoparasites affect fitness remains unclear (Proctor and Owens 2000). Among taxa as diverse as insects, fish, birds, and reptiles, individuals use coloration to communicate quality and status (Bradbury and Vehrencamp 2011), yet we lack a general understanding of whether ectoparasites alter the information signaled by colorful animal structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colorful displays signal male quality in a tropical anole lizard

Cook

Murphy

Johnson

2013

Naturwissenschaften

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Parasites influence colorful ornaments and their behavioral display in many animal hosts. Because coloration and display behavior are often critical components of communication, variation in these traits may have important implications for individual fitness, yet it remains unclear whether such traits are signals of quality in many taxa. We investigated the association between ectoparasitic mite load and the color and behavioral use of the throat fan (dewlap) by male Anolis brevirostris lizards. We found that heavily parasitized lizards exhibited lower body condition, duller dewlaps, and less frequent dewlap displays than less parasitized individuals. Our results thus suggest that highly parasitized individuals invest less in both ornamental color and behavioral display of that color. Because the two components of the signal simultaneously provide information on male quality, this study provides novel support for the long-standing hypothesis that colorful traits may function as social or sexual signals in reptiles.

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Mites and birds: diversity, parasitism and coevolution

Cited by 251 publications

References 33 publications

Incorporation of cigarette butts into nests reduces nest ectoparasite load in urban birds: new ingredients for an old recipe?

Incorporation of cigarette butts into nests reduces nest ectoparasite load in urban birds: new ingredients for an old recipe?

Long-distance dispersal and recolonization of a fire-destroyed niche by a mite-associated fungus

Colorful displays signal male quality in a tropical anole lizard

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