Climatic effects on the distribution of ant- and bat fly-associated fungal ectoparasites (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales)

Szentiványi, Tamara; Haelewaters, Danny; Rádai, Zoltán; Mizsei, Edvárd; Pfliegler, Walter P.; Báthori, Ferenc; Tartally, András; Christe, Philippe; Glaizot, Olivier

doi:10.1016/j.funeco.2019.03.003

Cited by 14 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…More specimens would make the species-level host specificity measures more robust. Third, it should be noted that distributions of parasites among hosts might not only be determined by the availability of hosts; they are also influenced by abiotic factors such as temperature and humidity [ 78 , 86 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The results of this work have been incorporated into a database currently holding 11,936 bat flies with associated metadata: bat fly species and sex; bat host identification, sex, age, and reproduction status; presence/absence of Laboulbeniales, the position of infection, and fungus identification; geographic location and collecting date. Parts of this dataset have been previously published [ 41 , 51 , 72 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 ]. A complete list of locations where infected bat flies were collected can be found in Supplementary Table S4 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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On the Fly: Tritrophic Associations of Bats, Bat Flies, and Fungi

Groot

Dumolein

Hiller

et al. 2020

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Parasitism is one of the most diverse and abundant modes of life, and of great ecological and evolutionary importance. Notwithstanding, large groups of parasites remain relatively understudied. One particularly unique form of parasitism is hyperparasitism, where a parasite is parasitized itself. Bats (Chiroptera) may be parasitized by bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea), obligate blood-sucking parasites, which in turn may be parasitized by hyperparasitic fungi, Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniomycetes). In this study, we present the global tritrophic associations among species within these groups and analyze their host specificity patterns. Bats, bat flies, and Laboulbeniales fungi are shown to form complex networks, and sixteen new associations are revealed. Bat flies are highly host-specific compared to Laboulbeniales. We discuss possible future avenues of study with regard to the dispersal of the fungi, abiotic factors influencing the parasite prevalence, and ecomorphology of the bat fly parasites.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Fly: Tritrophic Associations of Bats, Bat Flies, and Fungi

Groot

Dumolein

Hiller

et al. 2020

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“…An additional factor in determining the occurrence of fungi in underground sites are the neighboring external environment, especially local flora, the geographical location, and availability of organic matter [12][13][14]. However, it should be mentioned that low annual temperature as well as low humidity increased prevalence of microfungi on bat ectoparasites [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Culture-Based ID of Micromycetes on the Wing Membranes of Greater Mouse-Eared Bats (Myotis myotis) from the “Nietoperek” Site (Poland)

Ogórek

Kurczaba

Cal

et al. 2020

Animals

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Bats play important functions in ecosystems and many of them are threatened with extinction. Thus, the monitoring of the health status and prevention of diseases seem to be important aspects of welfare and conservation of these mammals. The main goal of the study was the identification of culturable fungal species colonizing the wing membranes of female greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) during spring emergence from the “Nietoperek” underground hibernation site by the use of genetic and phenotypic analyses. The study site is situated in Western Poland (52°25′ N, 15°32′ E) and is ranked within the top 10 largest hibernation sites in the European Union. The number of hibernating bats in the winter exceeds 39,000 individuals of 12 species, with M. myotis being the most common one. The wing membranes of M. myotis were sampled using sterile swabs wetted in physiological saline (0.85% NaCl). Potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates were incubated in the dark at 8, 24 and 36 ± 1 °C for 3 up to 42 days. All fungi isolated from the surface of wing membranes were assigned to 17 distinct fungal isolates belonging to 17 fungal species. Penicillium chrysogenum was the most frequently isolated species. Some of these fungal species might have a pathogenic potential for bats and other mammals. However, taking into account habitat preferences and the life cycle of bats, it can be assumed that some fungi were accidentally obtained from the surface of vegetation during early spring activity. Moreover, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd)—the causative agent of the White Nose Syndrome (WNS)—was not found during testing, despite it was found very often in M. myotis during previous studies in this same location.

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“…In the invasive lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), the survival rate of individuals was lower when infected [25]. Laboulbeniales distribution can be strongly altered by climatic and microclimatic factors in both ants and bat flies and thus differentially affects bat fly populations [26,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of fungal infection on the survival of parasitic bat flies

et al. 2020

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Background: Parasites are able to alter numerous aspects of their hosts' life history, behaviour and distribution. One central question in parasitology is to determine the degree of impact that parasites have on their hosts. Laboulbeniales (Fungi: Ascomycota) are ectoparasitic fungi of arthropods. Even though these fungi are widely distributed, little is known about their ecology and their possible physiological effects on their hosts. We used a highly specific bat fly-fungi association to assess the effect of these fungal parasites on their dipteran hosts. Methods:We collected bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) belonging to two species, Nycteribia schmidlii and Penicillidia conspicua from their bat host Miniopterus schreibersii (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae). We experimentally tested the effect of infection on the lifespan of bat flies. Results:The prevalence of Laboulbeniales fungi was 17.9% in N. schmidlii and 64.8% in P. conspicua. Two fungi species were identified, Arthrorhynchus eucampsipodae and A. nycteribiae, both showing strict host specificity with N. schmidlii and P. conspicua, respectively. We found that fungal infection reduced by half the survival rate of P. conspicua regardless of sex, whereas N. schmidlii was not affected by the infection. Moreover, the intensity of infection showed negative correlation with the lifespan of P. conspicua. Conclusions:To our knowledge, this is the first indication that fungal infection can alter bat fly survival and thus may play a significant role in the population dynamics of these bat ectoparasites.

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Climatic effects on the distribution of ant- and bat fly-associated fungal ectoparasites (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales)

Cited by 14 publications

References 69 publications

On the Fly: Tritrophic Associations of Bats, Bat Flies, and Fungi

On the Fly: Tritrophic Associations of Bats, Bat Flies, and Fungi

A Culture-Based ID of Micromycetes on the Wing Membranes of Greater Mouse-Eared Bats (Myotis myotis) from the “Nietoperek” Site (Poland)

Effects of fungal infection on the survival of parasitic bat flies

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