Latest Articles from Subterranean Biology Latest 2 Articles from Subterranean Biology https://subtbiol.pensoft.net/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 09:20:04 +0200 Pensoft FeedCreator https://subtbiol.pensoft.net/i/logo.jpg Latest Articles from Subterranean Biology https://subtbiol.pensoft.net/ Host-parasite associations in a population of the nectarivorous bat Anoura geoffroyi (Phyllostomidae) in a cave in a Brazilian ferruginous geosystem https://subtbiol.pensoft.net/article/64552/ Subterranean Biology 39: 63-77

DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.39.64552

Authors: Luísa Lauren Lima Vidal, Leopoldo Ferreira Oliveira Bernardi, Sonia Aparecida Talamoni

Abstract: Parasitic relationships between Neotropical bats and their ectoparasites are not well known, even though parasitism is one of the factors that can affect the fitness of a host population. This study characterized parasite-host relationships in relation to sex, age, body size and reproductive status in a population of Anoura geoffroyi using the indices of Prevalence, Mean Intensity and Mean Abundance. Total prevalence for 93 sampled bats was 94.6%. Two species of streblid flies that are considered primary parasites of A. geoffroyi, Exastinion clovisi (n = 203) and Anastrebla modestini (n = 152), were the most abundant ectoparasites, followed by Trichobius sp. (n = 7). Two mite species, Periglischrus vargasi (Spinturnicidae) (n = 98) and Spelaeorhynchus praecursor (Spelaeorhynchidae) (n = 11), were also found. We recorded higher mean abundance and intensity of parasitism in pregnant females compared to reproductive males and reproductively inactive females, for different specific associations of ectoparasites. Host age and body condition had no effect on the parasitological indices. Even with high rates of parasitism, parasitic load did not influence host body condition, but infestation rates by mites were higher in reproductive males and higher by flies in reproductive females, showing that ectoparasites can have variable influences between the different stages of the life history of these host bats. Thus, the reproductive activity of the hosts could be an adverse factor for resistance to parasite infestations.

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Research Article Wed, 9 Jun 2021 08:12:59 +0300
Two caves in western Honduras are important for bat conservation: first checklist of bats in Santa Bárbara https://subtbiol.pensoft.net/article/35420/ Subterranean Biology 30: 41-55

DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.30.35420

Authors: Manfredo Alejandro Turcios-Casco, Diego Iván Ordoñez Mazier, José Alejandro Soler Orellana, Hefer Daniel Ávila-Palma, Eduardo Javier Ordoñez Trejo

Abstract: Caves are important reservoirs for species, including bats, but in Honduras there is little known information about these biodiverse ecosystems. We describe the importance of two caves in Ceguaca in western Honduras, based on the species richness of each cave. From December 2015 to May 2016, we used three mist-nets in seven journeys (74.27 mist-net/hours). We captured 139 bats belonging to 23 species of four families. We recorded 10 species in the crop of Quita Sueño, 10 in the cave of El Peñón, and 12 in the cave of Monte Grueso. In overall, 17% of the bats were captured in the crops of Quita Sueño, 62% in the cave of Monte Grueso, and 21% in the cave of El Peñón. About 9% of bat species of the total account for Honduras could be found in the cave of El Peñón, and 10% in the cave of Monte Grueso. If we consider the number of the species that have been recorded since 1979, between 20.9 and 49.2% of the expected species are still unrecorded, this suggests that despite low sampling effort there is a high diversity. However, the diversity of bats species using these caves embraced on the Tropical Dry Forest of Ceguaca is threatened by the fragmentation of the ecosystem due to the following reasons: intentional fires in the caves, extensive cattle raising, replacement of native plants with extensions of crops, and human-vampire conflicts (Desmodus rotundus).

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Research Article Thu, 27 Jun 2019 15:31:39 +0300