Sexual selection and infection by ectoparasites in Wellington tree weta, Hemideina crassidens (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae)

Sexual selection can affect the prevalence and intensity of infection of individuals by ectoparasitic mites. According to this theory, males should exhibit greater infection by parasites than females and juveniles should be less infected than adults. In the wild, I investigated whether prevalence an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Austral ecology 2005-09, Vol.30 (6), p.648-654
Main Author: Kelly, C.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acari
Animal and plant ecology
Animal reproduction
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Arachnids
Biological and medical sciences
developmental stages
ectoparasites
females
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
gender differences
General aspects
Hemideina crassidens
Insecta
intensity of infection
Invertebrates
males
mite
mites
Nothotrombicula deinacridae
Orthoptera
parasite
Parasitengona
Parasites
parasitism
parasitoses
Plant pathology
prevalence
Selection
Trees
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Summary:Sexual selection can affect the prevalence and intensity of infection of individuals by ectoparasitic mites. According to this theory, males should exhibit greater infection by parasites than females and juveniles should be less infected than adults. In the wild, I investigated whether prevalence and intensity of the chyzeriid mite, Nothotrombicula deinacridae (Dumbleton) differed between the sexes and between developmental stages in Wellington tree weta, Hemideina crassidens. Despite being under strong sexual selection, male tree weta did not exhibit greater parasitism and there was some evidence that adults and juveniles differed in prevalence. The sexual selection hypothesis was not supported in this study.
ISSN:1442-9985
1442-9993
DOI:10.1111/j.1442-9993.2005.01506.x