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Density dependence of feeding success in haematophagous ectoparasites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2007

B. R. KRASNOV ,
A. HOVHANYAN ,
I. S. KHOKHLOVA  and
A. A. DEGEN
B. R. KRASNOV*
Affiliation:
Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84490 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel Ramon Science Center, P.O. Box 194, 80600 Mizpe Ramon, Israel
A. HOVHANYAN
Affiliation:
Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84490 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel Ramon Science Center, P.O. Box 194, 80600 Mizpe Ramon, Israel Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Beer Sheva, Israel
I. S. KHOKHLOVA
Affiliation:
Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Beer Sheva, Israel
A. A. DEGEN
Affiliation:
Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105 Beer Sheva, Israel
*
*Corresponding author: Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84490 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel. Tel: +972 8 6496841. Fax: +972 8 6586369. E-mail: krasnov@bgu.ac.il
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Summary

We studied the effect of density on feeding success of 2 fleas, Xenopsylla conformis and Xenopsylla ramesis, when exploiting rodents Meriones crassus and Gerbillus dasyurus. We tested 2 alternative hypotheses: (i) that intraspecific interference competition occurs and, thus, feeding success of a flea decreases with an increase in density and (ii) that facilitation via suppression of a host defence system occurs and thus, feeding success of a flea increases with an increase in density. The mean size of a bloodmeal and the proportion of highly engorged individuals in X. conformis feeding on both hosts were affected by density. When on G. dasyurus, both the size of a bloodmeal and the proportion of highly engorged individuals were lower at low (5–15 fleas per host) than at high (25–50 fleas per host) densities. The opposite was true when this flea fed on M. crassus. The mean bloodmeal size and proportions of highly engorged X. ramesis parasitizing either host were not affected by flea density. This study showed that the density dependence of feeding success of a flea (a) varied both between fleas and within-fleas between hosts and (b) indicated either intraspecific competition or facilitation via the host in a particular flea-host association.

Keywords

density dependenceengorgementfleashaematophagyrodents
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 134 , Issue 10 , September 2007 , pp. 1379 - 1386
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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