Forest Matters Most for <i>Hirsutiella zachvatkini</i> (Schluger, 1948): A Survey of Rodent Infestation in Four Localities within the Mazury Lake District, NE Poland
The family Trombiculidae encompasses numerous and widespread mites, the larvae of which are obligatory parasites of vertebrates. Our research objective was to assess how trombiculid burdens on rodents inhabiting three forested and one open area in NE Poland vary in relation to host identity, sex and...
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2023-03-01
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| author | Hanna Moniuszko Dagmara Wężyk Mariusz Chrabąszcz Mustafa Alsarraf Maciej Grzybek Joanna Nowicka Martyna Krupińska Aleksander Goll Wiktoria Romanek Wiktoria Małaszewicz Elżbieta Scholz Jerzy M. Behnke Anna Bajer |
| author_facet | Hanna Moniuszko Dagmara Wężyk Mariusz Chrabąszcz Mustafa Alsarraf Maciej Grzybek Joanna Nowicka Martyna Krupińska Aleksander Goll Wiktoria Romanek Wiktoria Małaszewicz Elżbieta Scholz Jerzy M. Behnke Anna Bajer |
| author_sort | Hanna Moniuszko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The family Trombiculidae encompasses numerous and widespread mites, the larvae of which are obligatory parasites of vertebrates. Our research objective was to assess how trombiculid burdens on rodents inhabiting three forested and one open area in NE Poland vary in relation to host identity, sex and body size, and how they are influenced by qualities of the habitat. Trapped rodents (<i>n</i> = 240) were measured, weighted and screened for ectoparasites. <i>Apodemus flavicollis</i> (<i>n</i> = 42) and <i>Myodes glareolus</i> (<i>n</i> = 173) harbored a total of 4652 <i>Hirsutiella zachchvatkini</i> larvae. Statistical tests revealed that both prevalence and abundance were significantly higher in voles (93%, 27 larvae/ind.) than in mice (14%, 0.24 larvae/ind.) but there was no effect of host sex. Among the localities, <i>H. zachvatkini</i> was most prevalent (98%) and abundant (41 larvae/ind.) in rodents from the deciduous mixed forest in Tałty compared to fallow land (2.6%, 0.13 larvae/ind.). The highest prevalence and abundance were found in bank voles; in this host species in Tałty, prevalence reached 100% and the mean abundance was >42 larvae/ind. Significant positive correlations were found between the body mass and body length of voles and the number of attached larvae. Our results confirm the sylvan nature of <i>H. zachvatkini</i> and its preference for bank voles inhabiting deciduous forests with rich and humid undergrowth. The lack of a sex bias and the moderate correlation between mite burden and host size are in line with observations already made on other rodent-associated Trombiculidae. |
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| issn | 1424-2818 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-1bc106536abd49cbb94430e4840f6d472023-11-17T10:37:49ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182023-03-0115337910.3390/d15030379Forest Matters Most for <i>Hirsutiella zachvatkini</i> (Schluger, 1948): A Survey of Rodent Infestation in Four Localities within the Mazury Lake District, NE PolandHanna Moniuszko0Dagmara Wężyk1Mariusz Chrabąszcz2Mustafa Alsarraf3Maciej Grzybek4Joanna Nowicka5Martyna Krupińska6Aleksander Goll7Wiktoria Romanek8Wiktoria Małaszewicz9Elżbieta Scholz10Jerzy M. Behnke11Anna Bajer12Section of Basic Research in Horticulture, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska Street 159, 02-776 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Ecology, Biogeochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Kanonia 6-8, 50-328 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 81-519 Gdynia, PolandDepartment of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 81-519 Gdynia, PolandDepartment of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 81-519 Gdynia, PolandDepartment of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 81-519 Gdynia, PolandDepartment of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Parasitology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, ul. Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, PolandSchool of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UKDepartment of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, PolandThe family Trombiculidae encompasses numerous and widespread mites, the larvae of which are obligatory parasites of vertebrates. Our research objective was to assess how trombiculid burdens on rodents inhabiting three forested and one open area in NE Poland vary in relation to host identity, sex and body size, and how they are influenced by qualities of the habitat. Trapped rodents (<i>n</i> = 240) were measured, weighted and screened for ectoparasites. <i>Apodemus flavicollis</i> (<i>n</i> = 42) and <i>Myodes glareolus</i> (<i>n</i> = 173) harbored a total of 4652 <i>Hirsutiella zachchvatkini</i> larvae. Statistical tests revealed that both prevalence and abundance were significantly higher in voles (93%, 27 larvae/ind.) than in mice (14%, 0.24 larvae/ind.) but there was no effect of host sex. Among the localities, <i>H. zachvatkini</i> was most prevalent (98%) and abundant (41 larvae/ind.) in rodents from the deciduous mixed forest in Tałty compared to fallow land (2.6%, 0.13 larvae/ind.). The highest prevalence and abundance were found in bank voles; in this host species in Tałty, prevalence reached 100% and the mean abundance was >42 larvae/ind. Significant positive correlations were found between the body mass and body length of voles and the number of attached larvae. Our results confirm the sylvan nature of <i>H. zachvatkini</i> and its preference for bank voles inhabiting deciduous forests with rich and humid undergrowth. The lack of a sex bias and the moderate correlation between mite burden and host size are in line with observations already made on other rodent-associated Trombiculidae.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/3/379abundancehabitat preferenceshost-parasite associationhost sex preferenceshost size preferencesprevalence |
| spellingShingle | Hanna Moniuszko Dagmara Wężyk Mariusz Chrabąszcz Mustafa Alsarraf Maciej Grzybek Joanna Nowicka Martyna Krupińska Aleksander Goll Wiktoria Romanek Wiktoria Małaszewicz Elżbieta Scholz Jerzy M. Behnke Anna Bajer Forest Matters Most for <i>Hirsutiella zachvatkini</i> (Schluger, 1948): A Survey of Rodent Infestation in Four Localities within the Mazury Lake District, NE Poland Diversity abundance habitat preferences host-parasite association host sex preferences host size preferences prevalence |
| title | Forest Matters Most for <i>Hirsutiella zachvatkini</i> (Schluger, 1948): A Survey of Rodent Infestation in Four Localities within the Mazury Lake District, NE Poland |
| title_full | Forest Matters Most for <i>Hirsutiella zachvatkini</i> (Schluger, 1948): A Survey of Rodent Infestation in Four Localities within the Mazury Lake District, NE Poland |
| title_fullStr | Forest Matters Most for <i>Hirsutiella zachvatkini</i> (Schluger, 1948): A Survey of Rodent Infestation in Four Localities within the Mazury Lake District, NE Poland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forest Matters Most for <i>Hirsutiella zachvatkini</i> (Schluger, 1948): A Survey of Rodent Infestation in Four Localities within the Mazury Lake District, NE Poland |
| title_short | Forest Matters Most for <i>Hirsutiella zachvatkini</i> (Schluger, 1948): A Survey of Rodent Infestation in Four Localities within the Mazury Lake District, NE Poland |
| title_sort | forest matters most for i hirsutiella zachvatkini i schluger 1948 a survey of rodent infestation in four localities within the mazury lake district ne poland |
| topic | abundance habitat preferences host-parasite association host sex preferences host size preferences prevalence |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/3/379 |
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