Increased temperature has no consequence for behavioral manipulation despite effects on both partners in the interaction between a crustacean host and a manipulative parasite

Abstract

Abstract Parasites alter many traits of their hosts. In particular, parasites known as “manipulative” may increase their probability of transmission by inducing phenotypic alterations in their intermediate hosts. Although parasitic-induced alterations can modify species’ ecological roles, the proximate factors modulating this phenomenon remain poorly known. As temperature is known to affect host–parasite associations, understanding its precise impact has become a major challenge in a context of global warming. Gammarids are ecologically important freshwater crustaceans and serve as intermediate hosts for several acanthocephalan species. These parasites induce multiple effects on gammarids, including alterations of their behavior, ultimately leading to modifications in their functional role. Here, experimental infections were used to assess the effect of two temperatures on several traits of the association between Gammarus pulex and its acanthocephalan parasite Pomphorhynchus laevis. Elevated temperature affected hosts and parasites in multiple ways (decreased host survival, increased gammarids activity, faster parasites development and proboscis eversion). However, behavioral manipulation was unaffected by temperature. These results suggest that predicted change in temperature may have little consequences on the trophic transmission of parasites through changes in manipulation, although it may modify it through increased infection success and faster parasites development.