Winter Ecology of Ectoparasites Collected from Hibernating Myotis velifer (Allen) in Southwestern Oklahoma (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Abstract

During the winter of 1971-72, Trichobius major, T, corynorhini, Mydopsylla collinsi, Macronyssus crosbyi, M. unidens, Paraspinturnix globosus, Spinturnix carloshoffmani, Ornithodoros sp., Albeckia senase, Nycteriglyphus sp. A, and Olabidocarpus sp. were quantitatively collected from hibernating Myotis velifer, Plecotus townsendii, and Pipistrellus subflavus. Significantly greater numbers of S. carloshoffmani and M. crosbyi were found on female M. velifer, while greater numbers of P. globosus were found on males. With the exception of T. major and P. globosus which were radomly distributed, all ectoparasites exhibited a contagious distribution on M. velifer. Only T. major and S. carloshoffmani had a 1:1 sex ratio, the remaining species had significantly fewer males. M. unidens, M. crosbyi, and N. species A were positively associated, while M. collinsi was negatively associated with both Macronyssus; the remaining species were not signficantly associated. With the exception of T. major and P. globosus, ectoparasite densities decreased during the winter.