RELAÇÕES DE PARASITISMO ENTRE ÁCAROS E CARRAPATOS COM O ROEDOR Oecomys paricola NO CERRADO MARANHENSE, BRASIL.

Abstract

Infestation levels by parasites may differ based on gender and body weight of the host. In this study, conducted in Cerrado region of Maranhão, Brazil, was investigated the influence of gender and body size rodent host Oecomys paricola in arthropods ectoparasites abundance. Were captured 52 individuals hosts (sex ratio 2,06), being collected 2.234 specimens of ectoparasites belonging to 15 species and 5 families. The ectoparasite abundance per individual host ranged from 1-78 specimens. Oecomys paricola females had an average abundance of ectoparasites 13 (s = ± 8,24), while the males showed an average abundance of ectoparasites 18 (s = ± 15,83). The distribution of ectoparasites abundance frequencies per host showed aggregate pattern. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) negative binomial regression was used to test the influence of the factors sex and body size in relation to the abundance of ectoparasites in Oecomys paricola, which did not detect statistical significance of any of these factors.