@article {94466,
	title = {Environmental drivers of parasite load and species richness in introduced parakeets in an urban landscape},
	journal = {Parasitology Research},
	volume = {117},
	year = {2018},
	pages = {3591-3599},
	abstract = {<p>Introduced species represent a threat to native wildlife worldwide, due to predation, competition, and disease transmission. Concurrent introduction of parasites may also add a new dimension of competition, i.e. parasite-mediated competition, through spillover and spillback dynamics. Urban areas are major hotspots of introduced species, but little is known about the effects of urban habitat structure on the parasite load and diversity of introduced species. Here, we investigated such environmental effects on the ectoparasite load, richness, and occurrence of spillback in two widespread invasive parakeets, Psittacula krameri and Myiopsitta monachus, in the metropolitan area of Rome, central Italy. We tested 231 parakeets and found that in both species parasite load was positively influenced by host abundance at local scale, while environmental features such as the amount of natural or urban habitats, as well as richness of native birds, influenced parasite occurrence, load, and richness differently in the two host species. Therefore, we highlight the importance of host population density and habitat composition in shaping the role of introduced parakeets in the spread of both native and introduced parasites, recommending the monitoring of urban populations of birds and their parasites to assess and manage the potential occurrence of parasite-mediated competition dynamics as well as potential spread of vector-borne diseases.</p>
},
	keywords = {ectoparasites, introduction, Psittaciformes, Urban ecology},
	issn = {0932-0113},
	doi = {10.1007/s00436-018-6058-5},
	url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00436-018-6058-5},
	author = {Ancillotto, Leonardo and V. Studer and Howard, Theresa and Vincent Stuart Smith and Erica McAlister and Jan Beccaloni and Francesca Manzia and F. Renzopaoli and Luciano Bosso and Danilo Russo and Mori, Emiliano}
}
@article {68910,
	title = {Macroparasites of introduced parakeets in Italy: a possible role for parasite-mediated competition},
	journal = {Parasitology Research},
	year = {2015},
	month = {Jul-05-2017},
	abstract = {<p>Alien species are considered a cause of biodiversity loss throughout the world. An important but often overlooked form of competition with native species is the parasite-mediated one. Introduced species may bring their own parasites from their native ranges (spillover) or get native parasites from native species, thus increasing the parasites\&$\#$39; spread and transmission risk (spillback). Thus, a complete knowledge of parasites hosted by introduced species is important to assess and to possibly prevent impacts. Ring-necked and monk parakeets have been introduced in many European countries, where they established a number of alien reproductive populations. We sampled 21 ring-necked parakeets and 7 monk parakeets from Italy and identified 35 arthropod ectoparasites belonging to five species. Amongst those, one species was native to India (Neopsittaconirmus lybartota), where alien populations of ring-necked parakeet may have been originated, and one species from South America (Paragoniocotes fulvofasciatus), which is typically found of the monk parakeet in its native range. The other three species of arthropod parasites were native to Italy and commonly found on native species, suggesting the possibility of spillback processes.</p>
},
	keywords = {Alien species . Monk parakeet . Ring-necked  parakeet . Ectoparasites . Spillover . Spillback},
	issn = {0932-0113},
	doi = {10.1007/s00436-015-4548-2},
	url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00436-015-4548-2},
	author = {Mori, Emiliano and Ancillotto, Leonardo and Groombridge, Jim and Howard, Theresa and Vincent Stuart Smith and Menchetti, Mattia}
}
