Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 9016, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
Asmat U. Khan
Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Department of Zoology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal Dir Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Schubot Centre for Avian Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
Marina V. Beirão
Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
Mauro Pichorim
Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Ciências de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
Patrícia A. Moreira
Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
The relationships between host phylogenetics, functional traits and parasites in wildlife remain poorly understood in the Neotropics, especially in habitats with marked seasonal variation. Here, we examined the effect of seasonality and host functional traits on the prevalence of avian haemosporidians (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in the Brazilian Caatinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest. 933 birds were evaluated for haemosporidian infections. We found a high parasitism prevalence (51.2%), which was correlated with phylogenetic relatedness among avian species. Prevalence varied drastically among the 20 well-sampled species, ranging from 0 to 70%. Seasonality was the main factor associated with infections, but how this abiotic condition influenced parasite prevalence varied according to the host-parasite system. Plasmodium prevalence increased during the rainy season and, after excluding the large sample size of Columbiformes (n = 462/933), Plasmodium infection rate was maintained high in the wet season and showed a negative association with host body mass. No association was found between non-Columbiform bird prevalence and seasonality or body mass when evaluating both Plasmodium and Haemoproteus or only Haemoproteus infections. Parasite community was composed of 32 lineages including 7 new lineages. We evidenced that even dry domains can harbour a high prevalence and diversity of vector-borne parasites and pointed out seasonality as a ruling factor.
