Influence of host profitability and microenvironmental conditions on parasite specialization on a main and an alternative hosts

Parasite success depends on both host profitability and the microenvironment provided by the host, which together define host-parasite compatibility and can differ between hosts. We experimentally disentangled the effects of host profitability and microenvironmental conditions provided by nest mater...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of evolutionary biology 2011-06, Vol.24 (6), p.1212-1225
Main Authors: LEMOINE, M, DOLIGEZ, B, PASSERAULT, M, RICHNER, H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
alternative hosts
Animals
Biological Evolution
Birds
Body Size
breeding
Ceratophyllus gallinae
drug hypothesis
ectoparasite
ectoparasites
Evolutionary biology
Ficedula albicollis
Flea Infestations - veterinary
host and parasite reproductive success
Host-Parasite Interactions
host–parasite encounter and compatibility
Life Sciences
nest material
Nesting Behavior
nests
Other
parasitism
Parasitology
Parus major
Passeriformes - growth & development
Passeriformes - parasitology
Passeriformes - physiology
profitability
Reproduction
reproductive performance
resistance
Siphonaptera - physiology
Species Specificity
Symbiosis
tolerance
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Parasite success depends on both host profitability and the microenvironment provided by the host, which together define host-parasite compatibility and can differ between hosts. We experimentally disentangled the effects of host profitability and microenvironmental conditions provided by nest material on the reproduction of a nest-based ectoparasite when exploiting its main and an alternative avian host species. Parasite reproductive performance was similar on both hosts when breeding in nests of their own species, suggesting no difference in host-parasite compatibility between hosts. The apparent parasite specialization could therefore result from differences in host-parasite encounter processes. However, when hosts were successful, the main host produced more young in infested nests, whereas the alternative host produced less; furthermore, host reproductive performance was higher in nests of the main host species, suggesting that this nest material alleviates parasitism cost. Therefore, our results suggest different evolutionary responses to parasites of the main and alternative hosts, with either higher tolerance or higher resistance, modulated by nest material.
ISSN:1010-061X
1420-9101
DOI:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02252.x