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Peixoto BDCPEM, de Barros GEB, Nascimento CSI, Robbi B, Fernandes MA. Comment on Boyde et al. (2023), 'Fleas and lesions in armadillo osteoderms'. J Anat 2024; 244:537-539. [PMID: 38063239 PMCID: PMC10862157 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Boyde et al. (2023) stated that Moura et al. (2021) did not explain how fleas generated cavities in armadillo osteoderms, which is wrongly stated, also presenting a misrepresentation of what is written about this in Moura et al. (2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo de C P E M Peixoto
- LAPALMA-Laboratório de Paleontologia de Macroinvertebrados, Faculdade de Ciências de Bauru, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Bauru, SP, Brazil
- LPP-Laboratório de Paleoecologia e Paleoicnologia, Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, UFSCar-Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Gabriel E B de Barros
- PPGERN-Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, UFSCar, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- LPA-Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Astrobiologia, DBio-Departamento de Biologia, UFSCar, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Carolina S I Nascimento
- LPP-Laboratório de Paleoecologia e Paleoicnologia, Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, UFSCar-Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Robbi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia-PPG-ECO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
- Laboratório de Manejo e Conservação de Fauna, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcelo A Fernandes
- LPP-Laboratório de Paleoecologia e Paleoicnologia, Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, UFSCar-Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- PPGERN-Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, UFSCar, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
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Boyde A, Mills D, Abba AM, Ezquiaga MC. Fleas and lesions in armadillo osteoderms. J Anat 2023; 242:1029-1036. [PMID: 36862639 PMCID: PMC10184550 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Armadillos are bitten by several species of flea. Females of the genus Tunga penetrate the epidermis and when in place are fertilised by males, after which the abdomen swells enormously to form a 'neosome'. Within the penetrans group, T. perforans, makes lesions that perforate the osteoderms within the integument to form ~3 mm diameter cavities occupied by a discoid neosome. We examined these lesions in carapace material from animals which had died in the wild to see whether we could recruit evidence as to how they may be generated, either by the insect or by the host. We studied one species without such lesions, the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus, and two species with, the greater hairy armadillo Chaetophractus villosus and the southern three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes matacus, both showing the characteristic 'flea bite' holes in the external surfaces of the osteoderms. Samples were studied by three-dimensional backscattered electron mode scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microtomography. Both methods showed resorption pit complexes in the external surfaces of the osteoderms characteristic of those made by osteoclasts in active bone resorption. Lesions involved both the syndesmoses (sutures) between adjacent bones and the central regions of the osteoderms. Many lesions showed extensive repair by infilling with new bone. We conclude that the T. perforans neosome creates a local host response which causes bone resorption, creating the space in which it can grow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Boyde
- Dental Physical Sciences, Barts' and The London School of Medicine and DentistryQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - David Mills
- Dental Physical Sciences, Barts' and The London School of Medicine and DentistryQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Agustin Manuel Abba
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE) UNLP‐CONICETLa PlataArgentina
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