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Contrasting haemoparasite prevalence in larid species with divergent ecological niches and migration patterns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2022

Radosław Włodarczyk Open the ORCID record for Radosław Włodarczyk [Opens in a new window] ,
Sandra Bouwhuis ,
Coraline Bichet ,
Patrycja Podlaszczuk ,
Amelia Chyb ,
Piotr Indykiewicz ,
Beata Dulisz ,
Jacek Betleja ,
Tomasz Janiszewski  and
Piotr Minias
Radosław Włodarczyk*
Affiliation:
Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
Sandra Bouwhuis
Affiliation:
Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Coraline Bichet
Affiliation:
Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
Patrycja Podlaszczuk
Affiliation:
Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
Amelia Chyb
Affiliation:
Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
Piotr Indykiewicz
Affiliation:
Department of Biology and Animal Environment, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka 28, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Beata Dulisz
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
Jacek Betleja
Affiliation:
Department of Natural History, Upper Silesian Museum, Plac Jana III Sobieskiego 2, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
Tomasz Janiszewski
Affiliation:
Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
Piotr Minias
Affiliation:
Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
*
Author for correspondence: Radosław Włodarczyk, E-mail: radoslaw.wlodarczyk@biol.uni.lodz.pl
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Abstract

Haemoparasites represent a diverse group of vector-borne parasites that infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts. In birds, haemoparasite infection rates may be associated with various ecological and life history traits, including habitat choice, colony size and migration distance. Here, we molecularly assessed the prevalence of 3 main haemoparasite genera (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) in 2 bird species with different habitat preferences and migratory behaviour: black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and common terns (Sterna hirundo). We found that gulls showed a much higher prevalence and diversity of Plasmodium or Haemoproteus (ca. 60% of individuals infected) than terns (zero prevalence). The prevalence of Leucocytozoon was low in both species (<3%). The differences in haemoparasite prevalences may be primarily driven by varying vector encounter rate resulting from different habitat preferences, as black-headed gulls mainly use vector-rich vegetated freshwater habitats, whereas common terns often use vector-poor coastal and brackish habitats. Since common terns migrate further than black-headed gulls, our results did not provide support for an association between haemoparasite prevalence and migratory distance. In gulls, we found a negative association between colony size and infection rates, suggestive of an ideal despotic distribution, and phylogenetic analyses of detected haemoparasite lineages provided evidence for higher host specificity in Haemoproteus than Plasmodium. Our results suggest that the preference for coastal areas and less vegetated habitats in terns may reduce haemoparasite infection rates compared to other larids, regardless of their migratory distance, emphasizing the role of ecological niches in parasite exposure.

Keywords

Avian malariabird migrationcomparative analyseshaemosporidiansLaridaemolecular diversity
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 149 , Issue 11 , September 2022 , pp. 1479 - 1486
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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