Symbiotic Relationships Between Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida) and Packrats (Rodentia)

Abstract

Thirty-two species of pseudoscorpions have been found co-existing with nine packrat (or woodrat) species of the genus Neotoma, and this association has been referred to as phoresy. Phoresy is a term for passive dispersal when an animal literally hitches a ride on another to reach a new habitat. The pseudoscorpions reported above live in or on the nests of the packrats and do not ride on the rats themselves, eliminating a truly phoretic association. All life-history stages of the small arachnids have been found in packrat nests, indicating at least a commensalistic relationship exists, whereby the pseudoscorpion benefits from shelter and food found in the nests, and reproduces there as well. Two pseudoscorpion species have been reported feeding on packrat ectoparasites, specifically larval and adult fleas, and thus a mutualistic relationship beneficial to both "guest" and "host" exists.RESUMEN. Treinta y dos especies de pseudoescorpion han sido halladas en los nidos de ratas del genero Neotoma, y esta asociacion ha sido llamada foresis. Foresis, sin embargo, es un termino especffico para dispersion pasiva donde un animal viaja sobre otro para llegar a un nuevo habitat. Los pseudoescorpiones viven en los nidos de las ratas y no han sido encontrados sobre las ratas mismas, descartando una verdadera asociacion foretica entre ellos. En los nidos de las ratas se han encontrado todos los estadios del ciclo de vida de los pseudoescorpiones, indicando que existe una asociacion comensalistica donde los pequenos aracnidos se benefician de la proteccion y el sustento que reciben en el nido, e incluso se reproducen en el. Se han reportado dos especies de pseudoescorpion alimentandose de los ectoparasitos de las ratas, especificamente de pulgas larvales y adultas, resultando en una asociacion mutualistica donde ambos el "huesped" y el "hospedero" se benefician.

Pack rats (Neotoma spp.): Keystone ecological engineers?

“…The more than thirty species of pseudoscorpions that coexist with pack rats are considered phoretic on Neotoma spp. (Francke and Villegas-Guzman, 2006). Phoresy is passive dispersal that occurs when one species hitches a ride on another to reach a new habitat.…”

“…The stick nests of Neotoma spp. have been reported as an essential habitat for pseudoscorpions (Francke and Villegas-Guzman, 2006) but there are no records of other arthropod inhabitants of pack-rat middens. Desert pack-rat middens have been reported to provide a moderate thermal environment that may make the stick nests a desirable habitat for other animals (Thies et al, 1996).…”

Ecological and evolutionary pathways of social behavior in Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)

“…In spite that the most common species lives in the leaf litter, rock crevices, or bark trees, there are also species that inhabit unexpected places like rosettes of Bromeliaceae (Weygoldt 1969;Aguiar and Bührnheim 2003) and other vegetation in coast (Gabbutt 1970), bat guano (Andrade and Gnaspini 2002), ant and bee nests (Cole et al 1995;Gonzalez et al 2007), and the body of birds and mammals (Francke and Villegas-Guzman 2006). Regardless that the lifetime of adults is poorly known (Levi 1948(Levi , 1953, literature data suggest that their lifetime is too variable just as their habitat preferences.…”

<b>Report of <i>Sphenochernes camponoti </i>(Beier, 1970) (Pseudoscorpiones, Chernetidae) in phoresy on Fanniidae (Diptera)

“…This relationship mainly involves flying insects (Poinar et al, 1998), but there are cases of more specific association with vertebrates, birds, and mammals (Francke & Villegas-Guzmán, 2006;Finlayson, Madani, Dennis & Harvey, 2015;Turienzo, Di Iorio & Mahnert, 2010;VillegasGuzman & Pérez, 2005). Phoresy has been reported in at least 24 species and 10 families of pseudoscorpions (Poinar et al, 1998).…”