Parasites in hosts with special life histories

• Main Authors: Valkiūnas, Gediminas, Ježova, Tatjana
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Lithuanian; English
• Published: 2001
• Subjects: Haematozoa; Haemoproteus; Leucocytozoon; Host-parasite interaction; Evolution; Apus apus; Cuculus canorus; Loxia curvirostra
• Online Access: http://lmavb.lvb.lt/LMAVB:ELABAPDB5150185&prefLang=en_US

One-hundred and forty seven specimens of the Cuckoo Cuculus canorus, 356 individuals of the Crossbill Loxia curvirostra and 79 specimens of the Swift Apus apus were captured on the Curonian Spit in the Baltic Sea and investigated for haematozoa by microscopic examination of stained blood smears. Haemosporidian parasites (Sporozoa, Haemosporida) were not recorded in the Cuckoo and the Swift. However, in juvenile Crossbills the prevalence of Haemoproteus tartakovskyi (9.0%), H. fringillae (2.8%), Leucocytozoon fringillinarum (15.5%), L. dubreuili (5.1%) and L. majoris (3.9%) was recorded. Special life histories protect birds from getting infected with haemosporidian parasites either completely or at least during the first months of their life when they are especially vulnerable to parasitic infections. Hence this advantage is likely to have contributed to the evolution of special animal life histories. Parasites in hosts with special life histories provide excellent natural "experiments" enabling to solve some intricate puzzles of ecological parasitology by relatively simple and inexpensive methods.