ArticleParasitology research2015
Mechanisms underlying parasite infection: influence of host body mass and age on chewing louse distribution among brown-headed cowbirds.
Article in Parasitology research, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Chewing Lice From the Wings of Migrating Shorebirds: Diversity, Host Specificity, and Associations With Host Body Condition.Ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) of the Common Buzzards (Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Host traits and environmental factors shape infection heterogeneity in wild rat-protozoa networks.ISME communications · 2026Article
- Prevalence and diversity of parasitic bird lice (Insecta: Psocodea) in northeast Arkansas.International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife · 2023Article
- Sex interacts with age-dependent change in the abundance of lice-infesting Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis).Parasitology research · 2020Article
- Sex-dependent changes in the louse abundance of red-footed falcons (Falco vespertinus).Parasitology research · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Animal populations exhibit various patterns in ectoparasite distribution across different sexes and age classes, and numerous factors can potentially contribute to ectoparasite abundance and distribution. We examined the influence of host body size and age on the distribution of a chewing louse among brown-headed cowbirds. Differences in louse prevalence (males 62.9 ± 2.8%, females 47.5 ± 4.9%) and intensity (males 15.42 ± 1.51, females 9.04 ± 1.69) were primarily driven by differences in host body mass and not host sex. Larger birds had larger louse infra-populations, which likely translated into a lower risk of local extinction, a possible explanation for higher louse prevalence observed among larger birds. Among males, younger individuals showed higher louse prevalence (70.21 ± 4.72%) compared to older males (59.36 ± 3.59). We speculate that this pattern is likely driven by behavioural difference and not body size, with young males spending relatively more time foraging in large groups, increasing their risk of louse transmission. By examining the mechanisms that underlie the sex- and age-biased infections observed in natural populations, we can better identify the hosts most responsible for parasite transmission.
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Registered trials
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