Reproductive success in two species of desert fleas: density dependence and host effect

Khokhlova, Irina S.; Hovhanyan, Anna; Krasnov, Boris R.; Degen, A. Allan

doi:10.1242/jeb.003236

Cited by 4 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Negative effects of flea density on egg production (Khokhlova et al , 2007) and pre‐imaginal survival resulted in substantial among‐treatment differences in the number of fleas of the next generation. This number was affected significantly by flea species and parent density in both host species ( D. dasyurus : F 1,32 = 35.2 and F 3,32 = 6.3, respectively; M. crassus : F 1,32 = 40.6 and F 3,32 = 14.0, respectively; P < 0.001 for all).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By contrast, when X. conformis exploited another host species, Dipodillus dasyurus Wagner, a negative feeding–density relationship was found (Krasnov et al , 2007), but there was no relationship between density and egg production (Khokhlova et al , 2007). For Xenopsylla ramesis Rothschild, there was a negative density–egg production relationship, independent of host species (Khokhlova et al , 2007). This occurred despite the lack of an effect of density on feeding success (Krasnov et al , 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…For example, the size of a bloodmeal taken by the flea Xenopsylla conformis Wagner, feeding on its rodent host Meriones crassus Sundevall, rose in line with an increase in the number of simultaneously feeding conspecifics (Krasnov et al , 2007). However, fleas feeding at higher densities produced significantly fewer eggs than fleas feeding at lower densities (Khokhlova et al , 2007). By contrast, when X. conformis exploited another host species, Dipodillus dasyurus Wagner, a negative feeding–density relationship was found (Krasnov et al , 2007), but there was no relationship between density and egg production (Khokhlova et al , 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, fleas feeding at higher densities produced significantly fewer eggs than fleas feeding at lower densities (Khokhlova et al , 2007). By contrast, when X. conformis exploited another host species, Dipodillus dasyurus Wagner, a negative feeding–density relationship was found (Krasnov et al , 2007), but there was no relationship between density and egg production (Khokhlova et al , 2007). For Xenopsylla ramesis Rothschild, there was a negative density–egg production relationship, independent of host species (Khokhlova et al , 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A negative relationship between parent density and number of offspring has been demonstrated for three flea species: Ceratophyllus gallinnae Schrank (Tripet & Richner, 1999a, 1999b), X. conformis and X. ramesis (Khokhlova et al , 2007). However, a relationship between parent density and quality of offspring in these insects has not been investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence for a negative fitness−density relationship between parent density and offspring quality for two Xenopsylla spp. parasitic on desert mammals

Krasnov

Hovhanyan

Khokhlova

et al. 2008

Medical Vet Entomology

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We tested the hypothesis of negative fitness-density relationships and predicted that an increase in the density of parent fleas would result in lower survival rates and longer development time of pre-imagoes as well as shorter time to death from starvation of newly emerged imagoes. These predictions were experimentally tested on Xenopsylla conformis Wagner and Xenopsylla ramesis Rothschild feeding on two rodent species, Meriones crassus Sundevall or Dipodillus dasyurus Wagner. Survival of larvae and pupae, but not eggs, was negatively affected by parent density. An increase in parent density led to a decrease in the number of imagoes of the next generation. Eggs of both species developed faster when the parents were at low densities on either host. The same was true for larval X. ramesis, but not larval X. conformis. The negative effects of parent density on the duration of pupal development were evident in X. conformis, parents of which fed on both hosts, and X. ramesis from parents fed on M. crassus, whereas X. ramesis from parents fed on D. dasyurus developed faster at low densities. A negative effect of density on the development of offspring from egg to imago in X. conformis was manifested mainly when parent fleas fed on D. dasyurus, whereas the negative effect of density on offspring development in X. ramesis was manifested mainly when parent fleas fed on M. crassus. Although there was no general effect of parent density on the resistance of imago offspring to starvation, male X. ramesis from parents fed at the highest density survived starvation for significantly shorter times compared with those from parents fed at lower densities. Manifestation of the negative effect of parent density on offspring quality appears to vary with flea species and may be affected by host species.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Evidence for a negative fitness−density relationship between parent density and offspring quality for two Xenopsylla spp. parasitic on desert mammals

Krasnov

Hovhanyan

Khokhlova

et al. 2008

Medical Vet Entomology

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Effects of parasite pressure on parasite mortality and reproductive output in a rodent-flea system: inferring host defense trade-offs

et al. 2016

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Evaluating host resistance via parasite fitness helps place host-parasite relationships within evolutionary and ecological contexts; however, few studies consider both these processes simultaneously. We investigated how different levels of parasite pressure affect parasite mortality and reproductive success in relationship to host defense efforts, using the rodent Gerbillus nanus and the flea Xenopsylla conformis as a host-parasite system. Fifteen immune-naïve male rodents were infested with 20, 50, or 100 fleas for four weeks. During this time number of new imagoes produced per adult flea (our flea reproductive output metric), flea mortality, and change in circulating anti-flea immunoglobulin G (our measure of adaptive immune defense) were monitored. Three hypotheses guided this work: (1) increasing parasite pressure would heighten host defenses; (2) parasite mortality would increase and parasite reproductive output would decrease with increasing investment in host defense; and (3) hosts under high parasite pressure could invest in behavioral and/or immune responses. We predicted that at high infestation levels (a) parasite mortality would increase; (b) flea reproductive output per individual would decrease; and (c) host circulating anti-flea antibody levels would increase. The hypotheses were partially supported. Flea mortality significantly increased and flea reproductive output significantly decreased as flea pressure increased. Host adaptive immune defense did not significantly change with increasing flea pressure. Therefore, we inferred that investment in host behavioral defense, either alone or in combination with density-dependent effects, may be more efficient at increasing flea mortality and decreasing flea reproductive output than antibody production during initial infestation in this system.

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The effect of larval density on pre-imaginal development in two species of desert fleas

et al. 2010

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We studied the effect of density of larvae on pre-imaginal development in 2 flea species (Xenopsylla conformis and Xenopsylla ramesis) parasitic on 2 desert rodent species (Dipodillus dasyurus, adult body mass 20 g and Meriones crassus, 80 g). We predicted a decrease in duration of development with an increase in density of larvae. In general, in both flea species, duration of larva-to-pupa development decreased with an increasing larval density. In addition, this stage of development was longer in male fleas and in fleas from parents fed on D. dasyurus. The effect of larval density on larval development was manifested mainly when parent fleas fed on D. dasyurus. Duration of pupation decreased with increasing larval density only in offspring of fleas fed on G. dasyurus. In both fleas, pupation was longer in males. The effect of parent host on duration of pupation was found in X. ramesis only (longer if the host was M. crassus). Resistance of newly emerged fleas to starvation depended mainly on parent host species. Young X. conformis survived longer if their parents fed on D. dasyurus, whereas young X. ramesis survived longer if their parents fed on M. crassus. It was also found that (a) an individual flea that spent more time as a larva also spent more time as a pupa and (b) longer larval development resulted in a shorter time that a newly emerged flea was able to survive when starved.

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Reproductive success in two species of desert fleas: density dependence and host effect

Cited by 4 publications

References 41 publications

Evidence for a negative fitness−density relationship between parent density and offspring quality for two Xenopsylla spp. parasitic on desert mammals

Evidence for a negative fitness−density relationship between parent density and offspring quality for two Xenopsylla spp. parasitic on desert mammals

Effects of parasite pressure on parasite mortality and reproductive output in a rodent-flea system: inferring host defense trade-offs

The effect of larval density on pre-imaginal development in two species of desert fleas

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