Geographic variation in the determinants of ectoparasite faunas’ species richness: fleas and gamasid mites parasitic on small mammals from 6 biogeographic realms

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Geographic variation in the determinants of ectoparasite faunas’ species richness: fleas and gamasid mites parasitic on small mammals from 6 biogeographic realms. / Винарский, Максим Викторович; Krasnov, Boris R.; Grabovsky, V.; Korallo-Vinarskaya, Natalia P.; Fernandez, Angel Luis Robles; Khokhlova, Irina S.

In: Parasitology, Vol. 152, No. 7, 08.2025, p. 745-756.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

BibTeX

@article{2dbfc0050b91407f8b557b80a801170e,

title = "Geographic variation in the determinants of ectoparasite faunas{\textquoteright} species richness: fleas and gamasid mites parasitic on small mammals from 6 biogeographic realms",

abstract = "We investigated the effects of body mass, geographic range size, the within-range richness of host assemblages (diversity field) and the habitat breadth of small mammalian hosts from 6 biogeographic realms on the species richness of their flea and gamasid mite faunas. We also tested whether the probability of between-host ectoparasite sharing is related to host phylogenetic relatedness, trait similarity or geographic distance/environmental dissimilarity between their ranges. We asked whether the effects of host-associated determinants of ectoparasite richness and the probability of ectoparasite sharing differ between (1) biogeographic realms and (2) fleas and mites. Whenever significant effects of host body mass on ectoparasite richness were found, they were negative, whereas the significant effects of geographic range size, diversity field and habitat breadth were positive. The occurrence of each determinant's effects on ectoparasite species richness differed (1) within fleas or mites between realms and (2) between fleas and mites within a realm. In all realms, the probability of a flea or a mite species being shared between hosts decreased with a decrease in the hosts' phylogenetic relatedness, trait similarity, geographic distance between ranges or environmental similarity. The probabilities of an ectoparasite species being shared between hosts were most strongly related to the hosts' trait similarity and were least related to the environmental similarity. We conclude that caution is needed in making judgements about the generality of macroecological patterns related to parasites based on the investigations of these patterns in limited numbers of localities and when pooling data on various taxa.",

keywords = "Animals, Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Flea Infestations/veterinary, Geography, Host-Parasite Interactions, Mammals/parasitology, Mite Infestations/veterinary, Mites/physiology, Phylogeny, Siphonaptera/physiology, species richness, mammals, parasite sharing, mites, fleas, biogeographic realms",

author = "Винарский, {Максим Викторович} and Krasnov, {Boris R.} and V. Grabovsky and Korallo-Vinarskaya, {Natalia P.} and Fernandez, {Angel Luis Robles} and Khokhlova, {Irina S.}",

year = "2025",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1017/s0031182025100371",

language = "English",

volume = "152",

pages = "745--756",

journal = "Parasitology",

issn = "0031-1820",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "7",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Geographic variation in the determinants of ectoparasite faunas’ species richness: fleas and gamasid mites parasitic on small mammals from 6 biogeographic realms

AU - Винарский, Максим Викторович

AU - Krasnov, Boris R.

AU - Grabovsky, V.

AU - Korallo-Vinarskaya, Natalia P.

AU - Fernandez, Angel Luis Robles

AU - Khokhlova, Irina S.

PY - 2025/8

Y1 - 2025/8

N2 - We investigated the effects of body mass, geographic range size, the within-range richness of host assemblages (diversity field) and the habitat breadth of small mammalian hosts from 6 biogeographic realms on the species richness of their flea and gamasid mite faunas. We also tested whether the probability of between-host ectoparasite sharing is related to host phylogenetic relatedness, trait similarity or geographic distance/environmental dissimilarity between their ranges. We asked whether the effects of host-associated determinants of ectoparasite richness and the probability of ectoparasite sharing differ between (1) biogeographic realms and (2) fleas and mites. Whenever significant effects of host body mass on ectoparasite richness were found, they were negative, whereas the significant effects of geographic range size, diversity field and habitat breadth were positive. The occurrence of each determinant's effects on ectoparasite species richness differed (1) within fleas or mites between realms and (2) between fleas and mites within a realm. In all realms, the probability of a flea or a mite species being shared between hosts decreased with a decrease in the hosts' phylogenetic relatedness, trait similarity, geographic distance between ranges or environmental similarity. The probabilities of an ectoparasite species being shared between hosts were most strongly related to the hosts' trait similarity and were least related to the environmental similarity. We conclude that caution is needed in making judgements about the generality of macroecological patterns related to parasites based on the investigations of these patterns in limited numbers of localities and when pooling data on various taxa.

AB - We investigated the effects of body mass, geographic range size, the within-range richness of host assemblages (diversity field) and the habitat breadth of small mammalian hosts from 6 biogeographic realms on the species richness of their flea and gamasid mite faunas. We also tested whether the probability of between-host ectoparasite sharing is related to host phylogenetic relatedness, trait similarity or geographic distance/environmental dissimilarity between their ranges. We asked whether the effects of host-associated determinants of ectoparasite richness and the probability of ectoparasite sharing differ between (1) biogeographic realms and (2) fleas and mites. Whenever significant effects of host body mass on ectoparasite richness were found, they were negative, whereas the significant effects of geographic range size, diversity field and habitat breadth were positive. The occurrence of each determinant's effects on ectoparasite species richness differed (1) within fleas or mites between realms and (2) between fleas and mites within a realm. In all realms, the probability of a flea or a mite species being shared between hosts decreased with a decrease in the hosts' phylogenetic relatedness, trait similarity, geographic distance between ranges or environmental similarity. The probabilities of an ectoparasite species being shared between hosts were most strongly related to the hosts' trait similarity and were least related to the environmental similarity. We conclude that caution is needed in making judgements about the generality of macroecological patterns related to parasites based on the investigations of these patterns in limited numbers of localities and when pooling data on various taxa.

KW - Animals

KW - Biodiversity

KW - Ecosystem

KW - Flea Infestations/veterinary

KW - Geography

KW - Host-Parasite Interactions

KW - Mammals/parasitology

KW - Mite Infestations/veterinary

KW - Mites/physiology

KW - Phylogeny

KW - Siphonaptera/physiology

KW - species richness

KW - mammals

KW - parasite sharing

KW - mites

KW - fleas

KW - biogeographic realms

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/2efc1c1b-5ac9-3d40-8599-041feaf76a07/

U2 - 10.1017/s0031182025100371

DO - 10.1017/s0031182025100371

M3 - Article

C2 - 40574516

VL - 152

SP - 745

EP - 756

JO - Parasitology

JF - Parasitology

SN - 0031-1820

IS - 7

ER -

ID: 142215323