03915nas a2200577 4500008004100000022001400041245012600055210006900181260001600250300001000266490000600276520213500282100002602417700001502443700002302458700001902481700002202500700003202522700002402554700001602578700002102594700002702615700001902642700002902661700001602690700002502706700001902731700002102750700001902771700002202790700003302812700003602845700002002881700002002901700002202921700002902943700001702972700002602989700002703015700002603042700003003068700002303098700002003121700001703141700002303158700001903181700002003200700002203220700001703242856007803259 2013 eng d a1932-620300aAssessing the Effects of Climate on Host-Parasite Interactions: A Comparative Study of European Birds and Their Parasites0 aAssessing the Effects of Climate on HostParasite Interactions A  cDec-31-2013 a11 pp0 v83 a

Background

Climate change potentially has important effects on distribution, abundance, transmission and virulence of parasites in wild populations of animals.

Methodology/Principal Finding

Here we analyzed paired information on 89 parasite populations for 24 species of bird hosts some years ago and again in 2010 with an average interval of 10 years. The parasite taxa included protozoa, feather parasites, diptera, ticks, mites and fleas. We investigated whether change in abundance and prevalence of parasites was related to change in body condition, reproduction and population size of hosts. We conducted analyses based on the entire dataset, but also on a restricted dataset with intervals between study years being 5–15 years. Parasite abundance increased over time when restricting the analyses to datasets with an interval of 5–15 years, with no significant effect of changes in temperature at the time of breeding among study sites. Changes in host body condition and clutch size were related to change in temperature between first and second study year. In addition, changes in clutch size, brood size and body condition of hosts were correlated with change in abundance of parasites. Finally, changes in population size of hosts were not significantly related to changes in abundance of parasites or their prevalence.

Conclusions/Significance

Climate change is associated with a general increase in parasite abundance. Variation in laying date depended on locality and was associated with latitude while body condition of hosts was associated with a change in temperature. Because clutch size, brood size and body condition were associated with change in parasitism, these results suggest that parasites, perhaps mediated through the indirect effects of temperature, may affect fecundity and condition of their hosts. The conclusions were particularly in accordance with predictions when the restricted dataset with intervals of 5–15 years was used, suggesting that short intervals may bias findings

1 aMøller, Anders, Pape1 aMerino, S.1 aSoler, Juan, José1 aAntonov, Anton1 aBadás, Elisa, P.1 aCalero-Torralbo, Miguel, A.1 ade Lope, Florentino1 aEeva, Tapio1 aFiguerola, Jordi1 aFlensted-Jensen, Einar1 aGaramszegi, Z.1 aGonzález-Braojos, Sonia1 aGwinner, H.1 aHanssen, Sveinn, Are1 aHeylen, Dieter1 aIlmonen, Petteri1 aKlarborg, Kurt1 aKorpimäki, Erkki1 aMartínez, Francisco, Javier1 ade la Puente, Josue, Martínez-1 aMarzal, Alfonso1 aMatthysen, Erik1 aMatyjasiak, Piotr1 aMolina-Morales, Mercedes1 aMoreno, Juan1 aMousseau, Timothy, A.1 aNielsen, Jan, Tøttrup1 aPap, Péter, László1 ade Aguilar, Juan, Rivero-1 aShurulinkov, Peter1 aSlagsvold, Tore1 aSzép, Tibor1 aSzöllősi, Eszter1 aTörök, Janos1 aVaclav, Radovan1 aValera, Francisco1 aZiane, Nadia uhttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.008288601800nas a2200193 4500008004100000022001400041245011700055210006900172260001200241300001200253490000700265520114900272100002601421700001901447700003101466700002001497700002001517856006901537 2013 eng d a1937-234500aSex Ratio and Sexual Dimorphism of Three Lice Species with Contrasting Prevalence Parasitizing the House Sparrow0 aSex Ratio and Sexual Dimorphism of Three Lice Species with Contr c02/2013 a24 - 300 v993 aFemale-biased sex ratio is a common phenomenon in parasites; however, the cause and consequence of the skewed sex ratio is less well known. Here, we studied the difference in sex ratio, a possible mechanism responsible for the development of unbalanced proportion of sexes and its consequences on sexual size dimorphism, between 3 louse species parasitizing the house sparrow Passer domesticus. Philopterus fringillae was more prevalent than Sturnidoecus refractariolus and Brueelia cyclothorax. As expected, the most common species, which was probably least affected by isolation and, hence, inbreeding, was characterized by a balanced sex ratio, whereas the 2 other species with low prevalence were significantly more female biased than expected on the basis of the local mate competition hypothesis. Further, in support of this notion, we found that P. fringillae infrapopulation size significantly, and positively, correlated with the sex ratio. Finally, we found significant differences in sexual dimorphism among the 3 louse species and, as expected, the relative size of males was smallest in species with a more female-biased sex ratio.1 aPap, Péter, László1 aAdam, Costică1 aVágási, Csongor, István1 aBenkő, Zoltán1 aVincze, Orsolya uhttp://phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/61681.pdf02095nas a2200169 4500008004100000245010300041210006900144260000900213300001400222490000700236520152500243100002601768700001701794700002301811700001801834856007301852 2006 eng d00aHabitat preference, escape behavior, and cues used by feather mites to avoid molting wing feathers0 aHabitat preference escape behavior and cues used by feather mite c2006 a277 - 2840 v173 aWe analyzed the pattern of distribution and the effect of molting on the escape behavior of feather mites on the wing feathers during the nonmolting and molting season of the barn swallow Hirundo rustica. Feather mites showed consistent preference for the second outermost primary, with a steady decrease in proximal distance and avoidance of the outermost primary. Several explanations are suggested to explain this unusual distribution. Further, analyzing the escape behavior of feather mites on molting primaries, we show that mites avoid the feathers destined to be dropped next on molting barn swallows, and in the case of the outermost primary, mites use the ‘‘last moment’’ strategy, namely, leaving feathers shortly before it is dropped. Next, we performed an experiment in which we simulated shedding feathers or feathers about to be shed on nonmolting barn swallows, in order to test cues used by feather mites in avoiding molting primaries. Both the vibration of the incised feather and the gap of the pulled feather induced mites to leave primaries situated distally, at two-feathers distance from the manipulated primary, related to the control group. Our results show that feather mites have the ability to perceive the signal produced by the feather that will drop next and by the gap of the missing feather. It remains to be demonstrated, whether feather mites have the ability to perceive the vibration of the feather per se or they perceive the altered airflow caused by the vibrating feathers.1 aPap, Péter, László1 aSzép, Tibor1 aTökölyi, Jácint1 aPiper, Steven uhttp://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/47092.pdf02222nas a2200157 4500008004100000245008100041210006900122260000900191300001400200490000800214520170400222100002601926700002201952700001701974856007301991 2005 eng d00aFrequency and consequences of feather holes in Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica0 aFrequency and consequences of feather holes in Barn Swallows Hir c2005 a169 - 1750 v1473 aThe relationship between feather quality, estimated through the prevalence and intensity of feather holes, and the breeding performance and survival of the Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica was studied over a 5-year period. In addition, we present some indirect data on the role of chewing lice in producing the feather holes. The balanced distribution of feather holes (high prevalence, low aggregation) corresponds with the pattern of distribution of lice on colonial birds, and in the Barn Swallow. Feather holes were significantly and positively associated with the arrival dates of the birds, as both males and females with an increased number of feather holes started laying later. Females that survived the winter had significantly fewer holes than non-surviving females, whereas there was no difference in feather hole number between surviving and non-surviving males. Given that there was no association between the number of feather holes and body condition indices, except for the tail length of male Barn Swallows, we suggest that the negative effect of feather holes on the fitness of the birds is mainly apparent during periods of intensive locomotor activity, such as migration. Alternatively, if feather holes are an indicator of quality, those birds with a high intensity of feather holes may have been of poor quality. These birds may have been less able to cope with the environmental conditions, resulting in the lower survival and later arrival of the birds to the breeding grounds. The negative relationship between the length of the outermost tail feathers of males and the incidence of feather holes suggests that the tail is a condition-dependent secondary sexual characteristic.1 aPap, Péter, László1 aTököly, Jácint1 aSzép, Tibor uhttp://www.phthiraptera.info/sites/phthiraptera.info/files/46912.pdf