Trombiculid mites are known to parasitize a variety of amphibian species, yet few comparisons of mite parasitism among amphibian species have been made. In this study, we investigated patterns of trombiculid mite parasitism among 3 plethodontid salamanders (Desmognathus fuscus, Eurycea cirrigera, and Plethodon cylindraceus) in the western Piedmont of North Carolina. All 3 salamander species were parasitized by a single species, Hannemania dunni. Desmognathus fuscus harbored mites more frequently (60.4% of individuals) than E. cirrigera (11.1%) or P. cylindraceus (14.6%). Desmognathus fuscus also had higher parasite loads than E. cirrigera or P. cylindraceus (P < 0.001). Mites on D. fuscus were found more frequently on the limbs than other body locations (P < 0.001). We found no correlation between salamander size and mite abundance (P = 0.689), but salamander collection sites influenced the abundance of mites on D. fuscus (P = 0.002). We found no effect of season on mite abundance in D. fuscus (P = 0.952). Salamander habitat preferences and edaphic or climatic differences among study sites may influence patterns of Hannemania sp. parasitism of salamanders.
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June 2008
Research Article|
June 01 2008
Patterns of Trombiculid Mite (Hannemania dunni) Parasitism among Plethodontid Salamanders in the Western Piedmont of North Carolina
Marjorie C. Westfall;
Marjorie C. Westfall
* Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035-7118. sjprice@davidson.edu
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Kristen K. Cecala;
Kristen K. Cecala
* Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035-7118. sjprice@davidson.edu
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Steven J. Price;
Steven J. Price
* Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035-7118. sjprice@davidson.edu
† Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109
‡ To whom correspondence should be addressed
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Michael E. Dorcas
Michael E. Dorcas
* Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035-7118. sjprice@davidson.edu
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J Parasitol (2008) 94 (3): 631–634.
Citation
Marjorie C. Westfall, Kristen K. Cecala, Steven J. Price, Michael E. Dorcas; Patterns of Trombiculid Mite (Hannemania dunni) Parasitism among Plethodontid Salamanders in the Western Piedmont of North Carolina. J Parasitol 1 June 2008; 94 (3): 631–634. doi: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-1260.1
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