@article {95717, title = {Feather mites play a role in cleaning host feathers: New insights from DNA metabarcoding and microscopy}, journal = {Molecular Ecology}, volume = {28}, year = {2018}, month = {May-03-2018}, pages = {203-218}, type = {Open Access, SPECIAL ISSUE: SPECIES INTERACTIONS, ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS AND COMMUNITY DYNAMICS}, keywords = {bacteria, birds, diet, DNA metabarcoding, ecological interactions, feather mites, fungi, high-throughput sequencing, interactions, Symbionts}, issn = {0962-1083, 1365-294X}, doi = {10.1111/mec.14581}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mec.14581}, author = {Jorge Do{\~n}a and Heather C. Proctor and David Serrano and Kevin P. Johnson and Oploo, Arnika Oddy-van and Jose C. Huguet-Tapia and Ascunce, Marina S. and Jovani,R.} } @article {95177, title = {Persistence of single species of symbionts across multiple closely-related host species}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {11-2019}, pages = {7 pp}, type = {Open Access}, abstract = {

Some symbiont species are highly host-specific, inhabiting only one or a very few host species, and typically have limited dispersal abilities. When they do occur on multiple host species, populations of such symbionts are expected to become genetically structured across these different host species, and this may eventually lead to new symbiont species over evolutionary timescales. However, a low number of dispersal events of symbionts between host species across time might be enough to prevent population structure and species divergence. Overall, processes of evolutionary divergence and the species status of most putative multi-host symbiont systems are yet to be investigated. Here, we used DNA metabarcoding data of 6,023 feather mites (a total of 2,225 OTU representative sequences) from 147 infracommunities (i.e., the assemblage consisting of all mites of different species collected from the same bird host individual) to investigate patterns of population genetic structure and species status of three different putative multi-host feather mite species Proctophyllodes macedo Vitzthum, 1922, Proctophyllodes motacillae Gaud, 1953, and Trouessartia jedliczkai (Zimmerman, 1894), each of which inhabits a variable number of different closely related wagtail host species (genus Motacilla). We show that mite populations from different host species represent a single species. This pattern was found in all the mite species, suggesting that each of these species is a multi-host species in which dispersal of mites among host species prevents species divergence. Also, we found evidence of limited evolutionary divergence manifested by a low but significant level of population genetic structure among symbiont populations inhabiting different host species. Our study agrees with previous studies showing a higher than expected colonization opportunities in host-specific symbionts. Indeed, our results support that these dispersal events would allow the persistence of multi-host species even in symbionts with limited dispersal capabilities, though additional factors such as the geographical structure of some bird populations may also play a role.

}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-54015-2}, url = {http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-54015-2}, author = {Jorge Do{\~n}a and Carolina Osuna-Mascar{\'o} and Kevin P. Johnson and David Serrano and Ra{\"u}l Aym{\'\i} and Jovani,R.} } @article {46024, title = {Understanding parasite strategies}, journal = {Trends in parasitology}, volume = {19}, year = {2003}, note = {LR: 20031114; JID: 100966034; CON: Trends Parasitol. 2002 Sep;18(9):387-90. PMID: 12377254; ppublish}, month = {2003}, pages = {15 - 6; author reply 16-7}, address = {England}, keywords = {animals, bird, ecology, Evolution, Feathers/parasitology, host parasite, lice infestations, Lice/growth \& development, Mite Infestations, Mites/growth \& development, parasite}, isbn = {1471-4922}, author = {Jovani,R.} } @article {39818, title = {Sources of variability in aggregation and sex ratios of Crataerina melbae (Diptera : Hippoboscidae) among adult colonial alpine swifts}, journal = {Journal of Parasitology}, volume = {86}, year = {2000}, month = {2000}, pages = {933 - 938}, abstract = {

Aggregation of Crataerina melbae dies on breeding adult alpine swifts (Apus melba) was low when compared with other host- parasite systems and varied with sampling date, year, and sex of the flies. Generalized linear models were performed to ascertain which factors, extrinsic and/or intrinsic to the host, explained variability in the number of louse flies present on a single host, i.e., abundance. Overall abundance was unrelated to any host characteristic but varied slightly among years. Abundance of female flies varied among years, but also with date of sampling, the number of females increasing as the breeding season advanced. In contrast, abundance of males decreased as the season progressed, independently of host characteristics. Despite these different patterns, the number of flies of each sex on a given host was strongly intercorrelated. These results suggest that mate attraction may explain aggregation patterns in this louse fly species. Overall sex ratio of louse flies did not differ from unity. However, the proportion of males decreased during the breeding season, as a consequence of the opposite sex-related seasonal patterns in parasite abundance. Sex-ratio variability was not related to host characteristics or to infrapopulation sizes.

}, keywords = {apus apus, bird, ectoparasite, Infestation, lice, Parasitology, Phthiraptera, Prevalence, selection, success}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1645/0022-3395(2000)086[0933:SOVIAA]2.0.CO;2}, url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12199418_Sources_of_variability_in_aggregation_and_sex_ratios_of_Crataerina_melbae_Diptera_Hippoboscidae_among_adult_colonial_Alpine_swifts}, author = {Tella,Jos{\'e} L. and Jovani,R.} } @article {39812, title = {Geographical variation in blood parasites in feral pigeons: the role of vectors}, journal = {Ecography}, volume = {23}, year = {2000}, note = {328QL ECOGRAPHY}, month = {2000}, pages = {307 - 314}, abstract = {

Prevalence and intensity of blood parasites are known to vary in space within a same species, yet the causes underlying such variation are poorly known. Theoretically, blood parasites variation can be attributed to differences to exposure to parasite vectors and/or to differences in host susceptibility. Here, we show that prevalence of Haemoproteus columbae in feral pigeons Columba livia varied among five near-by populations (range 15\%-100\%), paralleled by variation in the abundance of its main vector, the louse flies Pseudolynchia canariensis. Geographic variation in intensity of blood parasites did not covary with abundance of vectors. Within populations, older individuals had a higher probability of being parasitized than younger ones, whereas younger birds, when infected, suffered higher intensities. Furthermore, we found no evidence of sex-related differences neither in prevalence nor in intensity of blood parasite infections. To demonstrate that geographical variation in prevalence was actually due to differences in vector exposure, we conducted two experiments based on translocation of unparasitized pigeons from a vector-free area to an area where both the parasite and vector were abundant. With the first experiment, we demonstrated that unparasitized pigeons were not resistant to the parasite because when transmission was possible pigeons became parasitized in a few months. With the second experiment, in which half of the pigeons were prevented from contacts with the vector, we ruled out the posibility that pigeons we considered as unparasitized would have suffered from latent infections. Therefore, both observational and experimental evidence supports the view that vector abundance is the major factor influencing the spatial variation in prevalence of H. columbae in pigeons

}, doi = { https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2000.tb00286.x}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2000.tb00286.x}, author = {Sol,D. and Jovani,R. and Torres,J.} }