New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Engorgement success of parasitic mites on adult sexes of the colour polymorphic mountain stone weta
T. Robb
M. R. Forbes
College of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa
Ontario, KlS 5B6, Canada
email: trobb@connect.carleton.ca
I. G. Jamieson
Department of Zoology
University of Otago
Dunedin, New Zealand
Abstract In this study, the prevalence and intensity of the ectoparasitic mite Wetapolipus jamiesoni was examined on two colour morphs of the mountain stone weta Hemideina maori, collected from the Rock and Pillar Range in the province of Otago, New Zealand. We scored success of mites by identifying whether mites were alive or dead on hosts. We determined whether these indices of mite success related to morph or sex of adult weta. Our data indicate that there were no differences in mite prevalence, or in intensity of mite parasitism, between males and females of the two weta morphs. However, the interaction between morph and sex accounted for significant variation in proportion of dead mites on hosts. Specifically, black females had proportionately fewer dead mites than black males, yellow males, or yellow females. These data did not corroborate earlier findings that yellow individuals had higher immune expression than did their black conspecifics following challenges with immunogenic Sephadex beads. This study underscores the importance of comparing results obtained by various methods when examining susceptibility of hosts to their parasites.
Keywords colour polymorphism; ectoparasitism; Podapolipidae; randomisation tests
Z03038;
Received 14 October 2003; accepted 6 May 2004; online publication date 23 August 2004
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2004, Vol. 31: 249–254
0301–4223/04/3103–0249 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2004
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