Endoparasite community structure of an anuran assemblage in the Caatinga, Northeastern Neotropical Region

Abstract

Amphibians are a widespread Chordata taxon and are important for maintaining the balance of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Brazil has a rich amphibian fauna; however, little is known about the role of their ecology and phylogenetic relationships during the assembly processes of associated endoparasite communities. Herein, we describe an endoparasite community in an anuran assemblage in the Caatinga, a unique biome of dry forests in north-eastern Brazil. We studied endoparasite diversity, as well as the effects of body length, body mass, body volume and sex on parasite abundance. We also investigated the influence of ecological and historical factors and anuran microhabitat use on endoparasite composition. We analysed individuals from 13 anuran species distributed across five families: Odontophrynidae (Proceratophrys cristiceps); Leptodactylidae (Leptodactylus fuscus, Leptodactylus vastus, Leptodactylus macrosternum, Leptodactylus troglodytes and Physalaemus cuvieri); Hylidae (Pithecopus gonzagai, Scinax x-signatus, Boana raniceps and Dendropsophus nanus); Bufonidae (Rhinella diptycha and Rhinella granulosa); and Microhylidae (Dermatonotus muelleri). We found nine species of endoparasites, including seven nematodes (Aplectana membranosa, Cosmocerca sp., Oswaldocruzia mazzai, Raillietnema spectans, Rhabdias fuelleborni, Schrankiana sp. and Physaloptera sp.), one species of Trematoda (Glypthelmins pseudium) and one non-identified cestode. There was no significant relationship between endoparasite abundance and host body length, body mass, body volume and sex. A phylogenetic principal component analysis showed that ecological factors had a greater influence on endoparasite assemblage than historical factors. Similarly, our results showed that ecological factors had a greater influence on anuran microhabitat use compared to historical factors, which contributed to the generalist characteristics presented by most of the sampled endoparasite species.

Pattern of anuran infection by acanthocephalans from the Cerrado, Northeastern Brazil with a summary for South America

“…Janovy et al (1992) state that the presence of a parasitic species in a host species is strongly influenced by evolutionary factors. However, the infection data obtained in the present study suggest an ecological influence on the observed infection pattern, corroborating the studies by Sampaio et al (2022) and Oliveira et al (2023). In the case of acanthocephalans, hosts from a given locality are probably more related ecologically due to similarities in diet and habitat than phylogenetically (McAlpine 1997;Kennedy 2006), which should explain the presence of Centrorhynchus sp.…”

“…However, the infection data obtained in the present study suggest an ecological influence on the observed infection pattern, corroborating the studies by Sampaio et al . (2022) and Oliveira et al . (2023).…”