Evaluating Functional Dispersal in a Nest Ectoparasite and Its Eco-Epidemiological Implications.

ABSTRACT: Functional dispersal (between-site movement, with or without subsequent reproduction) is a key trait acting on the ecological and evolutionary trajectories of a species, with potential cascading effects on other members of the local community. It is often difficult to quantify, and particularly so for small organisms such as parasites. Understanding this life history trait can help us identify the drivers of population dynamics and, in the case of vectors, the circulation of associated infectious agents. In the present study, functional dispersal of the soft tick Ornithodoros maritimus was studied at a small scale, within a colony of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis). Previous work showed a random distribution of infectious agents in this tick at the within-colony scale

SUBMITTER: Rataud A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7604267 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature