Abundance Patterns of Ectoparasites Infesting Different Populations ofMiniopterusSpecies in Their Contact Zone in Asia Minor

Abstract

Although closely related host species are similarly susceptible to infestations of parasites, even small differences in their morphology, feeding behaviour or population history may affect parasitic infestation. In the present study we analyse the abundance of two species of nycteribiid flies (Diptera, Nycteribiidae) and one wing mite (Mesostigmata: Spinturnicidae) infesting populations of Miniopterus schreibersii and M. pallidius, which comprise a cryptic species complex of Miniopterus species in Asia Minor. We focus on the putative contact zone between these two taxa in Central Anatolia. We conducted our study in seven caves with large (≥ 1,000 individuals) maternity aggregations: three housing Anatolian M. schreibersii, one housing Levantine M. schreibersii, and three housing Anatolian M. pallidus. Sex-biased parasitism was found only twice: female-biased in Spinturnix psi on M. pallidus, and male-biased in Nycteribia schmidlii on M. schreibersii. Differences in the flies' abundance between Anatolian M...