Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Parasites may actively seek for hosts and may use a number of adaptive strategies to promote their reproductive success and host colonization. These strategies will necessarily influence their host specificity and seasonality. Ticks are important ectoparasites of vertebrates, which (in addition to directly affecting their hosts) may transmit a number of pathogens. In Europe, three hard tick species (Ixodidae: Ixodes ariadnae , I. simplex and I. vespertilionis ) and at least two soft tick species (Argasidae: Argas transgariepinus and A. vespertilionis ) are specialized for bats. Methods Here we report data on the host range of these ticks and the seasonality of tick infestation on wild caught bats in south-east Europe. We collected 1803 ticks from 30 species of bats living in underground shelters (caves and mines) from Romania and Bulgaria. On the basis of tick–host associations, we tested several hypotheses on host–parasite evolutionary adaptations regulating host specificity, seasonality and sympatric speciation. Results We observed significant differences in host specificity and seasonality of abundance between the morphologically different bat specialist ticks ( I. simplex and I. vespertilionis ) likely caused by their host choice and their respective host-seeking behavior. The two highly generalist, but morphologically similar tick species ( I. ariadnae and I. vespertilionis ) showed temporal differences in occurrence and activity, thus exploiting significantly different host communities while occurring in geographical sympatry. Conclusions We conclude that bat-specialist ticks show a wide range of adaptations to their hosts, with differences in specificity, seasonality of occurrence, the prevalence and intensity of infestation and all these contribute to a successful division of temporal niches of ticks sharing morphologically similar hosts occurring in geographical sympatry.

In this study 308 ticks (Ixodes ariadnae: 26 larvae, 14 nymphs, five females; I. vespertilionis: 89 larvae, 27 nymphs, eight females; I. simplex: 80 larvae, 50 nymphs, nine females) have been collected from 200 individuals of 17 bat species in two countries, Hungary and Romania. After DNA extraction these ticks were molecularly analysed for the presence of piroplasm DNA. In Hungary I. ariadnae was most frequently identified from bat species in the family Vespertilionidae, whereas I. vespertilionis was associated with Rhinolophidae. Ixodes ariadnae was not found in Romania. Four, four and one new bat host species of I. ariadnae, I. vespertilionis and I. simplex were identified, respectively. DNA sequences of piroplasms were detected in 20 bat ticks (15 larvae, four nymphs and one female). I. simplex carried piroplasm DNA sequences significantly more frequently than I. vespertilionis. In I. ariadnae only Babesia vesperuginis DNA was detected, whereas in I. vespertilionis sequences of both B. vesperuginis and B. crassa. From I. simplex the DNA of B. canis, Theileria capreoli, T. orientalis and Theileria sp. OT3 were amplified, as well as a shorter sequence of the zoonotic B. venatorum. Bat ticks are not known to infest dogs or ruminants, i.e. typical hosts and reservoirs of piroplasms molecularly identified in I. vespertilionis and I. simplex. Therefore, DNA sequences of piroplasms detected in these bat ticks most likely originated from the blood of their respective bat hosts. This may indicate either that bats are susceptible to a broader range of piroplasms than previously thought, or at least the DNA of piroplasms may pass through the gut barrier of bats during digestion of relevant arthropod vectors. In light of these findings, the role of bats in the epidemiology of piroplasmoses deserves further investigation.

Information is presented on ectoparasites found in the fur of 177 individuals of 15 species of small mammals from Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania: Insectivora: Sorex cinereus, S. fumeus, Blarina brevicauda, Condylura cristata; Chiroptera: Myotis lucifugus; Rodentia: Tamias striatus, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, Glaucomys volans, Zapus hudsonius, Napaeozapus insignis, Peromyscus leucopus, Microtus pennsylvanicus, M. pinetorum, Clethrionomys gapperi and Synaptomys cooperi. Species of mites not previously taken in Pennsylvania are Glycphagidae: Dermacarus hylandi, D. newyorkensis, D. tamiasciuri, Glycyphagus hypudaei, Orycteroxenus soricis, O. canadensis, Xenoryctes latiporus, X. nudus; Laelapidae: Echinonyssus talpae, E. utahensis, Eulaelaps stabularis, Haemogamasus longitarsus, Laelaps alaskensis; Listrophoridae: Asiochirus blarinae, Listrophorus mexicanus, L. synaptomys; Myobiidae: Acanthophthirius lucifugus, Blarinobia simplex, Protomyobia americana, Radfordia ewingi, R. hylandi, R. lemnina, R. subuliger, Radfordia n.sp.; Myocoptidae: Sciurocoptes tamias, Myocoptes japonensis, M. musculinus, Trichoecius tenax, Trichoecius n.sp.; Pygmephoridae: Bakerdania sp., Pygmephorus johnstoni, P. whitakeri; Rosensteiniidae: Nycteriglyphus n.sp.