Abstract

ORTA-PINEDA, Guillermo et al. Community composition and phylospecificity of bat ectoparasites in agricultural landscapes in Veracruz, Mexico. Ecosistemas y recur. agropecuarios [online]. 2020, vol.7, n.1, e2059.  Epub May 30, 2020. ISSN 2007-901X.  https://doi.org/10.19136/era.a7nl.2059.

The influence of the anthropogenic transformation of the landscape by livestock activities on the composition and specificity of ectoparasite communities associated with bats was evaluated in livestock productions of the state of Veracruz. Sites with different levels of landscape transformation were compared, including productions under grazing systems in fallow land, silvopasture, and grassland. A total of 944 bats of 23 species were captured in eight livestock production units. The taxonomic identification of 1 433 ectoparasites of 35 species obtained from 428 hosts was carried out. Analyses of taxonomic diversity and phylogenetic specificity were performed between the bat-ectoparasite associations. The composition of the ectoparasite communities associated with Artibeus jamaicensis showed significant differences between the three levels of landscape transformation. The acahual (fallow land), which is the landscape with the least anthropogenic transformation, presented the highest values of diversity of bat species and ectoparasites. The phylospecificity of the streblid bat flies did not show significant changes between the different types of landscape in the study. The consideration of anthropogenic factors that affect the richness, abundance and diversity of the ectoparasites, as well as the phylogenetic relationship with their hosts, is essential to achieve an in-depth study of host-parasite associations.

Keywords : Abundance; biomonitoring; diversity; fragmentation; richness.

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