Abstract
In alpine Australia, Orthoptera are abundant, dominant herbivores, important prey species, and hosts for parasites and parasitoids. Despite the central role of orthopterans in alpine ecosystems, the impact of parasites on orthopteran populations is under-explored. In this study we describe the relationship between parasite prevalence and host sex, body size and year of collection. We accessed an existing, preserved collection of 640 Kosciuscola tristis collected from across its range between 2007 and 2011. Upon dissection we collected juvenile parasites and used molecular tools to identify them to three families (Nematoda; Mermithidae, and Arthropoda: Diptera: Tachinidae and Sarcophagidae). The prevalence of nematodes ranged from 3.5% to 25.0% and dipterans from 2.4% to 20.0%. Contrary to predictions, we found no associations between parasite prevalence and grasshopper sex or size. Although there was an association between prevalence of both nematodes and dipterans with year of collection, this is likely driven by a small sample size in the first year. Our results provide a foundation for future studies into parasite prevalence within the alpine environment and the abiotic factors that might influence these associations.
Highlights
Parasites are ubiquitous and can have profound impacts on host immunology, morphology, behavior and fitness
We describe molecular identification of parasites from nematode and dipteran in K. tristis, an Australian alpine grasshopper
While morphology enables identification to phylum, molecular characterisation of isolates enabled finer-scale classification within phylum (Nematoda) and order (Diptera) to family level namely, Mermithidae, Sarcophagidae and Tachnididae
Summary
Parasites are ubiquitous and can have profound impacts on host immunology, morphology, behavior and fitness. Alpine Grasshopper Parasites and diversity of parasites. This is true for Australia and crucial for understanding threatened ecosystems such as the Australian alpine region. Many alpine insect species are highly abundant throughout the summer and occur in high densities in resource rich areas [5]. Such distributions can enhance parasite transmission due to increased contact with infected individuals [6] and greater susceptibility to infection arising from the elevated stress of living under crowded conditions [7]. The combination of high population densities and non-trivial environmental stressors may facilitate the increased parasitism reported in a range of alpine insects [10,11,12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
