1
|
Błoszyk J, Hebda G, Kulczak M, Zacharyasiewicz M, Rutkowski T, Napierała A. Communities of Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) in Nest Boxes Inhabited by Dormice ( Glis glis and Muscardinus avellanarius) and Differences in Percentages of Nidicoles in Nests of Various Hosts. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3567. [PMID: 38003184 PMCID: PMC10668786 DOI: 10.3390/ani13223567] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bird and mammal nests and nest boxes constitute microenvironments in which various groups of invertebrates can live, including mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata). The main aim of the current study was to ascertain the characteristics of mite communities from the suborder Uropodina, which inhabit the nests of dormice (Gliridae) built in nest boxes. The second aim of the study was to compare the habitat preferences of Leiodinychus orbicularis (C. L. Koch) and Apionoseius infirmus (Berlese), i.e., two typically nest-dwelling species of Uropodina. The material for the study was collected from nest boxes in six forest complexes in southwestern Poland. The conducted research revealed the presence of five species of Uropodina, with a total number of 559 specimens, in the examined boxes. Leiodinychus orbicularis was found in almost half of all of the examined boxes and was a superdominant species in the communities. The analysis of the habitat preferences of the two nest species of Uropodina showed that A. infirmus preferred old natural nests, in which the communities were formed from a larger number of species, without a significant statistical prevalence of one species. On the other hand, L. orbicularis occurred sporadically in open bird nests, but was very numerous and frequent in nest boxes. The significant dominance of L. orbicularis in nest boxes can probably be explained by the specific conditions prevailing in this type of microhabitat, including the very low humidity and food resources that this mite species prefers compared to other species of Uropodina.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerzy Błoszyk
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (J.B.); (M.K.); (M.Z.); (T.R.)
- Natural History Collections, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Hebda
- Institute of Biology, Opole University, Oleska 22, 45-040 Opole, Poland;
| | - Marta Kulczak
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (J.B.); (M.K.); (M.Z.); (T.R.)
| | - Michał Zacharyasiewicz
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (J.B.); (M.K.); (M.Z.); (T.R.)
| | - Tomasz Rutkowski
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (J.B.); (M.K.); (M.Z.); (T.R.)
| | - Agnieszka Napierała
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland; (J.B.); (M.K.); (M.Z.); (T.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Graczyk R, Indykiewicz P, Olszewski A, Tobółka M. Mites Living in the Nests of the White Stork and Black Stork in Microhabitats of the Forest Environment and Agrocenoses. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3189. [PMID: 37893913 PMCID: PMC10603721 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203189] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) and the Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) are well-known model organisms for the study of bird migration, as well as the selectivity of nesting sites and the choice of living environment. The former breeds mainly in open areas, while the latter inhabits forest areas. The acarofauna, and in particular Oribatida, inhabiting the nests of these species, has not been thoroughly explored so far. Therefore, we analyzed the material collected from 70 White Stork nests and 34 Black Stork nests in Poland, between Poznań and Rawicz, and in Kampinos National Park. Our research has increased the faunal and ecological knowledge of the mite fauna inhabiting the nests of large migratory bird species. Oribatida constituted 5-12% of the total mites identified in the nests of White and Black Storks. Their average number was several times higher in the Black Stork nests (80.2 individuals in 500 cm3). Also, the species diversity of moss mites was greater in the Black Stork nests (47 species). In total, the nests of the two stork species were inhabited by 62 moss mite species, with only 22 recorded in both the White and the Black Storks' nests. The most numerous species included Ramusella clavipectinata, R. fasciata, Oppiella subpectinata, Acrogalumna longipluma, and Scheloribates laevigatus. In addition, we found that juvenile oribatid mites accounted for 0.6% of all the mites in the White Stork nests, with tritonymphs having the largest share, while juveniles in the Black Stork nests comprised 1.4%, of which larvae and protonymphs had the largest share. Our research shows that the nests of large migratory birds provide living space for many mite species. In addition, we noted the potential importance of White and Black Stork nests for mite dispersion and the evolution of interspecies interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Radomir Graczyk
- Department of Biology and Animal Environment, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka 28 Str., 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Piotr Indykiewicz
- Department of Biology and Animal Environment, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka 28 Str., 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Adam Olszewski
- Kampinos National Park, Tetmajera 38 Str., 05-080 Izabelin, Poland;
| | - Marcin Tobółka
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c Str., 60-625 Poznan, Poland;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Niedbała W, Maziarz M, Hebda G, Rutkowski T, Napierała A, Kurek P, Zacharyasiewicz M, Broughton RK, Błoszyk J. Songbird nests on the ground as islands of diversity of ptyctimous mites (Acari: Oribatida) in the primeval Białowieża Forest (Poland). EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023; 90:169-184. [PMID: 37439971 PMCID: PMC10406712 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00800-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Due to specific microclimatic conditions and accumulation of organic matter, bird nests are microhabitats that are often inhabited by various invertebrates, including mites (Acari). We tested whether nests of the ground-nesting passerine Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechstein) (Passeriformes: Phylloscopidae) [wood warbler] were associated with an increased local diversity of ptyctimous mites (Acari: Oribatida) on the forest floor in the Białowieża National Park, East Poland. In 2019-2020, we analysed 150 warbler nests shortly after they had been vacated by the birds, and additionally we sampled mites in leaf litter at 1 and 6 m distances from 21 of the collected nests. We found on average more mite species in nests sampled in 2020 than in nests sampled in 2019. Although the species composition largely overlapped between bird nests and the litter, bird nests contained a greater average number of mite species than litter samples, including species found only - Microtritia minima (Berlese) and Phthiracarus crenophilus Willmann - or mostly - Euphthiracarus cribrarius (Berlese) and Phthiracarus globosus (C.L. Koch) - in bird nests. The results suggest that the presence of bird nests may increase the local diversity of the invertebrate species assemblage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Niedbała
- Natural History Collections, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Marta Maziarz
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, Warsaw, 00-679, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Hebda
- Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Oleska 22, Opole, 45-040, Poland
| | - Tomasz Rutkowski
- Natural History Collections, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Napierała
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61-614, Poland.
| | - Przemysław Kurek
- Department of Plant Ecology and Protection of Environment, Faculty of Biology Adam, Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Michał Zacharyasiewicz
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Richard K Broughton
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Jerzy Błoszyk
- Natural History Collections, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Laska A, Puchalska E, Mikołajczyk M, Gwiazdowicz DJ, Kaźmierski A, Niedbała W, Błoszyk J, Olszanowski Z, Szymkowiak J, Hałas N, Kuczyński L, Skoracka A. Mites inhabiting nests of wood warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Aves: Passeriformes), in the Wielkopolska National Park in western Poland. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023; 89:393-416. [PMID: 37029286 PMCID: PMC10167128 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00792-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The wood warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Aves: Passeriformes), is a well-known model organism for studying bird migration, breeding habitat selection and nest predation. The nest acarofauna of this bird species has not been extensively studied so far. To provide a comprehensive report on mite species inhabiting wood warbler nests and to assess infestation parameters (prevalence, intensity, and abundance) for mite species and orders, we collected 45 nests of this bird species in the Wielkopolska National Park in western Poland. Analyses revealed a huge diversity (198 species) of mites inhabiting wood warbler nests. We found individuals belonging to the Mesostigmata, Trombidiformes and Sarcoptiformes. The Trombidiformes, represented in our study only by the Prostigmata, achieved statistically significantly lower intensity and abundance, compared to representatives of other orders. However, the number of recorded prostigmatid species was high (65). The most common were: Stigmaeus sphagneti (22 nests), Stigmaeus longipilis (16), Eupodes voxencollinus (15), Cunaxa setirostris (14), Stigmaeus pilatus (11), and Linopodes sp. 2 (10). The prevalence of Mesostigmata and Sarcoptiformes was equal, reaching 91.1%. Most of Gamasina (Mesostigmata) species found in this study were more characteristic of the soil environment and forest litter than bird nests, but there was also a typical bird parasite, viz. Ornithonyssus sylviarum. None of the observed species of Uropodina (Mesostigmata) or Oribatida (Sarcoptiformes) was typical for bird nests. Among the Uropodina, the highest parameters of nest infestation were achieved by Oodinychus ovalis, whereas among the Oribatida, they were achieved by Metabelba pulverosa. We discuss the importance of wood warbler nests for mite dispersal, survival and reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Laska
- Population Ecology Lab, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Ewa Puchalska
- Section of Applied Entomology, Department of Plant Protection, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Martyna Mikołajczyk
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Dariusz J Gwiazdowicz
- Department of Forest Entomology and Pathology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andrzej Kaźmierski
- Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Wojciech Niedbała
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jerzy Błoszyk
- Department of General Zoology & Natural History Collections, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Ziemowit Olszanowski
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jakub Szymkowiak
- Population Ecology Lab, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Natalia Hałas
- Population Ecology Lab, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Lechosław Kuczyński
- Population Ecology Lab, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Anna Skoracka
- Population Ecology Lab, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Maziarz M, Broughton RK, Chylarecki P, Hebda G. Weather impacts on interactions between nesting birds, nest-dwelling ectoparasites and ants. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17845. [PMID: 36284124 PMCID: PMC9596701 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21618-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Weather has a dominant impact on organisms, including their life histories and interspecific interactions. Yet, for nesting birds, and the arthropods inhabiting bird nests, the direct and cascading effects of weather are poorly known. We explored the influence of ambient temperatures and rainfall on the cohabitation of dome-shaped bird nests by Wood Warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix, their blowfly Protocalliphora azurea ectoparasites, and predatory Myrmica and Lasius ants that may provide nest sanitation. We sampled blowflies and ants in 129 nests, and measured warbler nestlings during 2018-2020 in the primeval Białowieża Forest, eastern Poland. The probability of ectoparasites occurring in nests increased with increasing ambient temperatures and declining precipitation in the early nestling stage, when adult blowflies are ovipositing. Where present, the number of ectoparasites was greater if higher ambient temperatures had prevailed in the late nestling stage, but only when ants were absent from nests. However, the nestling growth was unrelated to ectoparasite abundance or ant presence within bird nests, although it was lower at high rainfall. The results suggest that weather can have conflicting impacts on interactions between nesting birds and nest-dwelling arthropods, but birds can mostly compensate for any related costs in old-growth forest, where food is generally abundant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Maziarz
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Richard K. Broughton
- grid.494924.60000 0001 1089 2266UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB UK
| | - Przemysław Chylarecki
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Hebda
- grid.107891.60000 0001 1010 7301Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Oleska 22, 45-052 Opole, Poland
| |
Collapse
|