| Vol. 98(1) January 2003 |
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Interrelationship between Ectoparasites and Wild Rodents from Northeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina Vol. 98(1): 45-49, January 2003
Santiago Nava+, Marcela Lareschi*, Damián Voglino**
Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores, Calle 2 Nº 584, 1900 La Plata, Argentina *Conicet and Departamento de Parasitologia, ICB, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil **Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
Infestation parameters and indices of mites, ticks and fleas associated with wild rodents from northeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, were studied. Host species similarity was also analyzed in relation to their ectoparasites. Fifty-five rodents were captured from January 2000 to March 2001. In total, 1,022 ectoparasites were collected and three ectoparasite-host associations were new records. However, this is the first study on Craneopsylla minerva wolffhuegeli infesting parameters. Ectoparasite total mean abundance and total prevalence were higher in Holochilus brasiliensis (MA = 47.7; P = 100%) and Scapteromys aquaticus (MA = 25.4; P = 95.4%), meanwhile specific richness and diversity were higher in Oligoryzomys flavescens (S = 6; H = 1.3) and Akodon azarae (S = 4; H = 1.0). On the other hand, the only individual of Calomys laucha was not parasited. S. aquaticus-H. brasiliensis, which preferred similar microhabitats, shared the same ectoparasite species (Css = 100). Whereas, A. azarae, which was mostly associated with grassland, showed the highest difference with the other hosts (Css < 0.4). Considering every ectoparasite species, H. brasiliensis showed the highest mean abundance, prevalence and preference. The results suggest that the particular characteristics of this rodent would give it better possibilities not only of being infested by ectoparasites, but also of transmitting them to its progeny.
Key words: ectoparasites - fleas - mites - ticks - wild rodents - Argentina
The Order Rodentia comprises the most abundant and diverse mammals in South America (Reig 1981). However, 92 of the 372 species of mammals known in Argentina are sigmodontinae rodents (Galliari et al. 1996). Particularly in Buenos Aires Province, an important number of wild rodent species have been recorded from the marginal forest along La Plata and Paraná rivers (Massoia 1961, Olrog & Lucero 1981, Redford & Eisenberg 1992, Sánchez López 1998). Like most of the eutherian mammals, rodents are associated with ectoparasites belonging to different species of Acari and Insecta. In Argentina there are relatively few records of ectoparasites of wild rodents where mites, ticks and fleas are studied simultaneously (Castro et al. 1987, Lareschi 1996, 2000, Liljesthröm & Lareschi 2002). Early researches were primarily lists of hosts and their ectoparasite species and taxonomic studies, but little has been published about the ectoparasite infestation parameters. In the past ten years, several studies have quantified the host-ectoparasite relationship and contribute important information on this subject. The most relevant researches were obtained from Punta Lara (Lareschi 1996, 2000) and Berisso (Liljesthröm & Lareschi 2002) in Buenos Aires Province and Villa Elisa in Entre Ríos Province (Abba et al. 2001). In the present study infestation parameters of mites, ticks and fleas associated with wild rodents from northeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, are analyzed. Host species similarity is also studied in relation to their ectoparasites.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Laura Gorostordoy for the critical revision of the English and to UFJ Pardiñas (FCNyM, Argentina) for the identification of the rodents. To PM Linardi (ICB/UFMG, Brazil) for his assistance with the identification of P. (P.) rimatus.
Table I | Table II | Table III
Supported partially by La Plata National University, Argentina. +Corresponding author. Fax: +54-221-423-2327. E-mail: snava@netverk.com.ar Received 8 July 2002 Accepted 6 November 2002 |
