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Skoracki M, Unsoeld M, Kosicki JZ, Melzer RR, Friedrich S, Sikora B. Enigmatic host-mite relationships: Unraveling the distribution of quill mites on Birds-of-Paradise. Int J Parasitol 2024; 54:415-427. [PMID: 38575051 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.03.007] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) are permanent and obligatory parasites of birds. This study presents an analysis of mite material collected from 22 avian species belonging to the family Paradisaeidae (Passeriformes), revealing the presence of four mite species belonging to four genera: Syringophiloidus attenboroughi n. sp., Peristerophila regiusi n. comb., Picobia frankei, and Gunabopicobia garylarsoni. In the present work, the genus Neoperisterophila is synonymized with the genus Peristerophila. While the genera Syringophiloidus and Picobia were expectedly found on paradisaeid birds, given their prevalence in passerines, the presence of Peristerophila and Gunabopicobia was intriguing, suggesting potential host-switching events. The specificity of these mites varies, with some showing occurrence on hosts of closely related genera and others infesting phylogenetically distant hosts. Notably, the distribution of specific mite species on the Birds-of-Paradise appears to be influenced by both long coevolutionary histories and incidental contacts between often unrelated or intergeneric hybrid species of paradisaeid birds. Furthermore, our research of 104 specimens from 22 Birds-of-Paradise species shows generally low infestation rates across the studied species, suggesting a nuanced interaction between these mites and their avian hosts. Additionally, our network analysis provides a deeper understanding of these host-parasite interactions, revealing a high level of specialization and complexity in these ecological relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Skoracki
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Markus Unsoeld
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Ornithology, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany
| | - Jakub Z Kosicki
- Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Roland R Melzer
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Arthropoda Varia, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Faculty of Biology, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Friedrich
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Arthropoda Varia, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Faculty of Biology, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Bozena Sikora
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
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Skoracki M, Unsöld M, Patan M, Sikora B. Lost companions: a new quill mite species and its possible coextinction with the Carolina parakeet. Parasitology 2024; 151:463-467. [PMID: 38148679 PMCID: PMC11106503 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023001373] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Investigations of the parasites associated with extinct avian species provide unique insights into the ecology and evolution of both hosts and their parasitic counterparts. In the present paper, a new quill mite species, Peristerophila conuropsis sp. n., belonging to the family Syringophilidae (Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) is described from the Carolina parakeet Conuropsis carolinensis Linnaeus (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae). This new species was collected from museum dry skin of the Carolina parakeet, the only native representative of the Psittacidae in the United States, which was an abundant resident of the southeastern and midwestern states and has been extinct in the beginning of the 20th century. Comment on the current taxonomic state and host associations of the genus Peristerophila are provided. Based on the host associations and habitats occupied by Peristerophila and related genera on parrots, it is hypothesized with the high probability that P. conuropsis has been extinct along with its host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Skoracki
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznan, Poland
| | - Markus Unsöld
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Section Ornithology, Munich, Germany
| | - Milena Patan
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznan, Poland
| | - Bozena Sikora
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznan, Poland
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Sikora B, Unsoeld M, Melzer RR, Friedrich S, Skoracki M. First Records of Picobiine Mites Associated with Birds-of-Paradise: Can Interspecific Sexual Behaviour of Hosts Play a Role in the Distribution of Quill Mite Parasites? Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091509. [PMID: 37174545 PMCID: PMC10177229 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
While birds-of-paradise (Passeriformes: Paradisaeidae) are a well-known group of birds, our understanding of their parasites is still limited. This study reports on parasitic quill mites of the subfamily Picobiinae (Acariformes: Syringophilidae), which have never before been recorded on this group of birds. The mite specimens presented in this paper were collected from birds-of-paradise that had been captured in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia in the years 1910-1911 and are now deposited in the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Munich, Germany. Two syringophilid species are described as new to science: (i) Picobia frankei sp. n. from the magnificent riflebird Lophorina magnifica, the glossy-mantled manucode Manucodia ater, and the crinkle-collared manucode Manucodia chalybatus, and (ii) Gunabopicobia garylarsoni sp. n. from the twelve-wired bird-of-paradise Seleucidis melanoleucus and the lesser bird-of-paradise Paradisaea minor. We hypothesise that the presence of both picobiine species on phylogenetically unrelated paradisaeids may be caused by the sexual behaviour of these birds, where interspecific copulations may play a role in the switching of parasites between non-closely related host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bozena Sikora
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Markus Unsoeld
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Ornithology, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany
| | - Roland R Melzer
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Arthropoda Varia, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Friedrich
- SNSB-Bavarian State Collection of Zoology, Sektion Arthropoda Varia, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 Munich, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Maciej Skoracki
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
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Liew CY, Labadin J, Kok WC, Eze MO. A methodology framework for bipartite network modeling. APPLIED NETWORK SCIENCE 2023; 8:6. [PMID: 36684825 PMCID: PMC9844172 DOI: 10.1007/s41109-023-00533-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The graph-theoretic based studies employing bipartite network approach mostly focus on surveying the statistical properties of the structure and behavior of the network systems under the domain of complex network analysis. They aim to provide the big-picture-view insights of a networked system by looking into the dynamic interaction and relationship among the vertices. Nonetheless, incorporating the features of individual vertex and capturing the dynamic interaction of the heterogeneous local rules governing each of them in the studies is lacking. The methodology in achieving this could hardly be found. Consequently, this study intends to propose a methodology framework that considers the influence of heterogeneous features of each node to the overall network behavior in modeling real-world bipartite network system. The proposed framework consists of three main stages with principal processes detailed in each stage, and three libraries of techniques to guide the modeling activities. It is iterative and process-oriented in nature and allows future network expansion. Two case studies from the domain of communicable disease in epidemiology and habitat suitability in ecology employing this framework are also presented. The results obtained suggest that the methodology could serve as a generic framework in advancing the current state of the art of bipartite network approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Ying Liew
- Mathematical Sciences Studies, College of Computing, Informatics and Media, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sarawak Branch, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Jane Labadin
- Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Woon Chee Kok
- Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Monday Okpoto Eze
- Department of Computer Science, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State Nigeria
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Host-Parasite Relationships of Quill Mites (Syringophilidae) and Parrots (Psittaciformes). DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The family Syringophilidae (Acari: Prostigmata) includes obligatory ectoparasites, which occupy feather quills from various parts of avian plumage, where they feed and reproduce. Our study was concerned with the global fauna of syringophilid mites associated with Psittaciformes, as well as host-parasite specificity and evolution. We assumed that the system composed of quill mites and parrots represents a model group that can be used in a broader study of the relationships between parasites and hosts. In total, we examined 1524 host individuals of parrots belonging to 195 species, 73 genera, and 4 families (which constitute ca. 50% of global parrot fauna) from all zoogeographical regions where Psittaciformes occur. Among them, 89 individuals representing 81 species have been infested by quill mites belonging to 45 species and 8 genera. The prevalence of host infestations by syringophilid mites varied from 2.8% to 100% (95% confidence interval (CI Sterne method) = 0.1–100). We applied a bipartite analysis to determine the parasite-host interaction, network indices, and host specificity at the species and whole network levels. The Syringophilidae-Psittaciformes network was composed of 24 mite species and 47 host species. The bipartite network was characterized by a high network level specialization H2′ = 0.98, connectance C = 0.89, and high modularity Q = 0.90, with 23 modules, but low nestedness N = 0.0333. Moreover, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the quill mites on the generic level, and this analysis shows two distinct clades: Psittaciphilus (Peristerophila + Terratosyringophilus) (among Syringophilinae subfamily) and Lawrencipicobia (Pipicobia + Rafapicobia) (among Picobiinae). Finally, the distributions and host-parasite relationships in the system composed of syringophilid mites and parrots are discussed.
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Skoracki M, Kosicki JZ, Sikora B, Töpfer T, Hušek J, Unsöld M, Hromada M. The Occurrence of Quill Mites (Arachnida: Acariformes: Syringophilidae) on Bee-Eaters (Aves: Coraciiformes: Meropidae: Merops) of Two Sister Clades. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3500. [PMID: 34944276 PMCID: PMC8698019 DOI: 10.3390/ani11123500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the quill mite fauna of the family Syringophilidae, associated with bee-eaters. We examined 273 bird specimens belonging to nine closely related species of the genus Merops, representing two phylogenetic sister clades of a monophyletic group. Our examination reveals the presence of two species of the genus Peristerophila, as follows: (1) a new species Peristerophila mayri sp. n. from Merops viridis in the Philippines, M. leschenaulti in Nepal and Sri Lanka, and M. orientalis in Sri Lanka; and (2) P. meropis from M. superciliosus in Tanzania and Egypt, M. persicus in Sudan, Tanzania, Liberia, Senegal, Kenya, and D.R. Congo, M. ornatus in Papua New Guinea, M. philippinus in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, and M. americanus in the Philippines. The prevalence of host infestations by syringophilid mites varied from 3.1 to 38.2%. The distribution of syringophilid mites corresponds with the sister clade phylogenetic relationships of the hosts, except for P. meropis associated with Merops americanus. Possible hypotheses for the host lineage shift are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Skoracki
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Jakub Z. Kosicki
- Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Bozena Sikora
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Till Töpfer
- Section Ornithology, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Jan Hušek
- National Museum, Václavské náměstí 68, 11579 Praha 1, Czech Republic;
| | - Markus Unsöld
- Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Sektion Ornithologie, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany;
| | - Martin Hromada
- Laboratory and Museum of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Presov, 08001 Prešov, Slovakia
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland
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