Publication details
Recolonization of bat roost by bat bugs (Cimex pipistrelli): could be parasite load a cause of bat roost switching?
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Parasitology Research |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3316-4 |
| Field | Zoology |
| Keywords | infested roost transport bat bugs roost selection parasite load |
| Description | Roost ectoparasites are believed to have a negative impact on fitness their hosts as birds or mammals. Previous studies were mostly focussed on the synchronization between reproduction cycles of ectoparasites and hosts living in infested roosts. However up to date has not been examined, how fast can ectoparasite colonize new, until non-infested roosts and thus increase the impact on the local populations of hosts. The parasite-host model was studied, including bat bugs Cimex pipistrelli and soprano pipistrelles Pipistrellus pygmaeus, where bat behaviour was observed which tended to reduce the parasite load in bat roosts. We investigated i) whether bats change their roosting behaviour when we discontinued synchronization of their reproduction and the life cycle of the bat bugs and ii) how fast and which stages of bat bugs reoccupy cleaned roosts. In a three years field experiment, we removed all bat bugs from six bat boxes in each spring. Pipistrelles bred young in all non-infested boxes during these three years. In addition, eight years of regular observations before this experiment indicate that bats avoided breeding in the same bat boxes at all. Bat bugs were found again in clean boxes in mid-May. However, their densities did not maximise before the beginning of June, before parturition. A re-appearance of bugs was observed after 21 – 56 days after the first bats visit. Adult bugs, mainly females, colonised cleaned boxes first though at the same time there were a lot of younger and smaller instars in non-manipulated roosts in the vicinity. |
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