RESUMO
Haemosporidian genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, responsible for avian malarial infections, are highly diverse and have a wide range of health effects and predictors, depending on the host and its environmental context. Here, we present, for the first time, detailed information on the identity, prevalence and parasitaemia of haemosporidians and other haemoparasites that infect the ash-breasted Sierra finch, Geospizopsis plebejus, in an Andean dry forest. We study the consequences of infection in the host body and health conditions and explore the environmental and intrinsic factors that influence infection status and parasitaemia. We conducted diagnoses by cytochrome b (cytb) sequencing and morphological identification, and estimated the levels of parasitaemia based on microscopy. We identified 6 cytb lineages infecting G. plebejus. Two of them were new lineages: Haemoproteus sp. GEPLE01 and GEPLE02. We also detected Haemoproteus sp. ZOCAP08, Haemoproteus sp. AMAVIR01, Plasmodium homopolare BAEBIC02 and Plasmodium cathemerium ZONCAP15. By microscopy, we detected Haemoproteus coatneyi, Haemoproteus erythrogravidus, P. homopolare and other unidentified species of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Babesia sp. and 1 microfilaria. We found no evidence of Leucocytozoon. Additionally, we detected several coinfections by sequencing and microscopy. The prevalence of haemosporidian infections was high (87.7%), and the mean parasitaemia was 61.65 infected cells per 10 000 erythrocytes examined. Prevalence and parasitaemia were higher for Haemoproteus than for Plasmodium. Haemoproteus sp. AMAVIR01 showed the highest prevalence (43.1%) and mean parasitaemia (94.39/10 000 erythrocytes) and might be associated with H. coatneyi. Immature individuals showed a lower prevalence than adults, supporting previous findings.
RESUMO
Despite intensive research during the last few decades, understanding of ecological and physiological factors related to haemosporidian infections in birds is still fragmentary. Since more model organisms are needed in order to understand these infections in the wild, we analysed avian haemosporidian infections in the rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis, Emberizidae) in a dry forest of the Ecuadorian Andes. Parasite diversity was screened using molecular and morphological approaches. By molecular diagnosis, we identified three linages that were phylogenetically placed in the context of molecular haemosporidian diversity and associated with a morphospecies. By microscopy, we identified five described morphospecies and one additional undescribed morphospecies. We found that avian haemosporidian prevalence on the study site was 76.3%. Additionally, we used a series of generalized linear models to explore the potential relationship of parasite prevalence and parasitaemia with a set of variables related to physiological and environmental conditions. Although our results revealed associations of haemosporidian infections with precipitation, age and sampling site, the models only explained a small fraction of the variation.
RESUMO
The Streaked Saltator, Saltator striatipectus, is an uncommon to common resident of open areas, cultivated land, gardens, and forest edges, with ten subspecies recognized from west Costa Rica through west Peru (Brewer 2016). Patterns of plumage variation, especially mantle color and streaking pattern below, are complex across subspecies and age classes (Chapman 1926; Ridgely Tudor 2009; Brewer 2016). Until recently, S. striatipectus was considered conspecific with the Lesser Antillean Saltator S. albicollis, but separated on the basis of genetic differentiation despite overall plumage similarities (Seutin et al. 1993). Actually, S. striatipectus and S. albicollis are not each other's closest relatives (Chaves et al. 2013).
Assuntos
Passeriformes , Animais , Costa Rica , Equador , Ilhas , PeruRESUMO
En el presente estudio a partir de 107 egagrópilas de la lechuza, determinamos el consumo de 300 presas agrupadas en 21 especies, las egagrópilas fueron colectadas en dos localidades de diferente ambiente Los Santiagos y La Ciénaga, en las provincias de Chimborazo y Manabí, al occidente de Ecuador. Nuestros análisis revelaron una dieta compuesta mayoritariamente de mamíferos pequeños, sobre todo roedores, quienes constituyeron el 80%. Entre las presas más abundantes se encontró a Oligoryzomys sp. que representó el 38.7% de la dieta en las muestras de Los Santiagos y Sigmodon peruanus 33.6% en La Ciénaga, siendo el 22,5% y 41% respectivamente de la biomasa total consumida para cada sitio. La rata cangrejera Ichthyomys hydrobates es reportada por primera vez en la dieta de la lechuza y también en la localidad de Los Santiagos, ampliando el rango distribucional de este roedor para el centro-sur al occidente de Ecuador en aproximadamente 200 km.(AU)
We analyzed 107 owl pellets and determined 300 prey items grouped into 21 species. The pellets were collected at two locations with different environments: Los Santiagos and La Ciénaga in the province of Chimborazo and Manabí in western Ecuador. Our analysis revealed a diet mostly comprised on small mammals, especially rodents which constituted 80%. Among the most abundant prey were Oligoryzomys sp. which accounted for 38.7% of the diet in Los Santiagos' samples and Sigmodon peruanus 33.6% in La Ciénaga, being 22.5% and 41% respectively of the total biomass consumed at each site. The crab-eating rat Ichthyomys hydrobates is first reported in this owl's diet and in the locality of Los Santiagos. This record extends the distributional range of I. hydrobates to southwest Ecuador by about 200 km.(AU)
Assuntos
Animais , Estrigiformes , Comportamento Alimentar , Dieta , Arvicolinae , Roedores , EquadorRESUMO
En el presente estudio a partir de 107 egagrópilas de la lechuza, determinamos el consumo de 300 presas agrupadas en 21 especies, las egagrópilas fueron colectadas en dos localidades de diferente ambiente Los Santiagos y La Ciénaga, en las provincias de Chimborazo y Manabí, al occidente de Ecuador. Nuestros análisis revelaron una dieta compuesta mayoritariamente de mamíferos pequeños, sobre todo roedores, quienes constituyeron el 80%. Entre las presas más abundantes se encontró a Oligoryzomys sp. que representó el 38.7% de la dieta en las muestras de Los Santiagos y Sigmodon peruanus 33.6% en La Ciénaga, siendo el 22,5% y 41% respectivamente de la biomasa total consumida para cada sitio. La rata cangrejera Ichthyomys hydrobates es reportada por primera vez en la dieta de la lechuza y también en la localidad de Los Santiagos, ampliando el rango distribucional de este roedor para el centro-sur al occidente de Ecuador en aproximadamente 200 km.
We analyzed 107 owl pellets and determined 300 prey items grouped into 21 species. The pellets were collected at two locations with different environments: Los Santiagos and La Ciénaga in the province of Chimborazo and Manabí in western Ecuador. Our analysis revealed a diet mostly comprised on small mammals, especially rodents which constituted 80%. Among the most abundant prey were Oligoryzomys sp. which accounted for 38.7% of the diet in Los Santiagos' samples and Sigmodon peruanus 33.6% in La Ciénaga, being 22.5% and 41% respectively of the total biomass consumed at each site. The crab-eating rat Ichthyomys hydrobates is first reported in this owl's diet and in the locality of Los Santiagos. This record extends the distributional range of I. hydrobates to southwest Ecuador by about 200 km.