Big dung beetles dig deeper: trait-based consequences for faecal parasite transmission

Author(s)

Gregory, Nichar ^[1] ; Gomez, Andres ^[2] ; Oliveira, Tricia Maria F. de S. ^[3] ; Nichols, Elizabeth ^{[4, 5, 6]}

Affiliation

^[1] Columbia Univ, Dept Ecol Evolut & Environm Biol, New York, NY - USA

^[2] ICF Int, Washington, DC 20006 - USA

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Anim Sci & Food Engn, Dept Vet Med, Pirassununga - Brazil

^[4] Univ Lancaster, Lancaster Environm Ctr, Lancaster - England

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ecol, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[6] Swarthmore Coll, Swarthmore, PA 19081 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: International Journal for Parasitology; v. 45, n. 2-3, p. 101-105, FEB 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 16

Abstract

Observational evidence suggests that burial of faeces by dung beetles negatively influences the transmission of directly transmitted gastrointestinal helminths. However, the mechanistic basis for these interactions is poorly characterised, limiting our ability to understand relationships between beetle community composition and helminth transmission. We demonstrate that beetle body size and sex significantly impact tunnel depth, a key variable affecting parasite survival. Additionally, high parasite loads reduce the depth of beetle faeces burial, suggesting that the local prevalence of parasites infecting beetles may impact beetle ecosystem function. Our study represents a first step towards a mechanistic understanding of a potentially epidemiologically relevant ecosystem function. (C) 2014 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/23457-6 - Interface project: relationships among landscape structure, ecological processes, biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Grantee: Jean Paul Walter Metzger
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants