Search

Wing mites of the genus Periglischrusare ectoparasites exclusively associated with phyllostomid bats. These mites show high host specificity and have been studied to understand the evolutionary history of their bat hosts mainly by using a morphological variation. Through a phylogeographic approach, we analyzed the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of the ectoparasite Periglischrus paracaligusHerrin and Tipton which parasitizes Leptonycteris yerbabuenaeMartínez and Villa (lesser long-nosed bat) in Mexico. By the implementation of a multilocus approach, we found that P. paracaliguspopulations were diverse for haplotype diversity, and had values ranging from 0.5 to 1. No genetic structuring in the P. paracaligusparasites was observed along with the distribution of the host, L. yerbabuenae,in Mexico, nor when populations or regions were compared, but our results revealed a process of historical demographic expansion in all the analyzed markers. We discuss possible scenarios that could explain the lack of population structure in the light of the data analyzed for the parasites and the biology of L. yerbabuenae, such as the interplay between parasite and host traits being responsible for the genetic make-up of parasite populations. We also inferred its phylogenetic position among wing mites parasitizing the two other species of Leptonycterisbats. Long-nosed bats’ monophyly helps to explain the observed presence of distinctive clades in the wing mite’s phylogeny in specific association with each long-nosed bat host species.

We evaluated the morphometric variation of wing mite Periglischrus paracaligusHerrin and Tipton, along with the distribution of their host Leptonycteris yerbabuenaeMartinez and Villa, in Mexico. A total of 115 female and 96 male specimens of P. paracaliguswere used to conduct linear and geometric morphometric analyses. We assessed the influence of the geographic distribution of the migratory and nonmigratory populations of its bat host species on changes in size and shape on these parasites. Both analyses revealed high intraspecific variation in P. paracaligus, but subtle geographic differentiation. None of the approaches used identified a consistent pattern that separates unambiguously migratory from nonmigratory populations. Females presented more phenotypic variation than males and UPGMA analyses showed southern and northern colonies grouped in two distinct clades. Males on the other hand showed randomly grouped colonies with no geographic concordance. Interestingly, the most differentiated colony was the north Pacific colony of Jalisco. For both, males and females, isolation by distance (IBD) was not observed. We discuss these results as a possible scenario of contact between migratory populations located in northern Mexico with nonmigratory populations in other localities in central and southern Mexico conforming to a panmictic population along with their distribution range.

Parasites are a selective force that shape communities and ecosystems. Hosts represent a food source, habitat, and a way to disperse. In recent years, investigations dealing with bats and their role as hosts to numerous parasitic organisms, including metazoan ectoparasites and endoparasites have increased, and soft ticks (Parasitiformes: Ixodida: Argasidae) are among the best known. In Mexico, 16 species of soft ticks associated with bats have been reported up to now, but there are no specific records of soft ticks parasitizing Leptonycteris yerbabuenaein the country. Herein, we record for the first time the presence of Ornithodoros dyeriparasitizing L. yerbabuenaeand report an extension of its geographic distribution. The same tick species was also recorded from the California leaf-nosed bat (Macrotus californicus). Data on prevalence, mean intensity, mean abundance, tick identification, and possible scenarios of life cycle associations for O. dyeriand one of its hosts, L. yerbabuenae,are discussed.