Abstract

Antagonistic host-parasite interactions are rarely considered from an ecological perspective of the parasite. We used a blood-feeding ectoparasite of boreal cervids, the deer ked (Lipoptena cervi L., Hippoboscidae), to study host-dependent variation in a parasite's ability to cope with an abiotic environment during the free-living stage(s) in two allopatric Fennoscandian populations. We found that a strongly host-specific deer ked population in eastern Fennoscandia, exploiting only moose (Alces alces), produced the largest offspring that were the most cold-tolerant and emerged the earliest as adults, when compared with the western Fennoscandian population that exploited two hosts efficiently. Within the western population, however, offspring produced on roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) were significantly larger, more cold-tolerant, and had higher survival than those produced on moose in the same area. We discuss potential causes for both host-specific and geographical differences in off-host performance: (1) maternal host directly affects the offspring survival prospects; (2) divergent co-evolution with local main host(s) has shaped the parasite's life history; and/or (3) off-host performance is shaped by adaptation to the local abiotic environment. In conclusion, this study increases our understanding of the evolution of host-parasite interactions by demonstrating how geographical differences in host exploitation may result in differences in survival prospects outside the host.

Keywords

co-evolution; distribution; host effect; life history; off-host survival; offspring size; species interactions

Published in

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
2015, Volume: 116, number: 4, pages: 902-910
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL

SLU Authors

• Månsson, Johan

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bij.12628

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/69174