D3032: Survey of mammalian and avian ectoparasites in the Madrean Sky Islands

Taylor Ludwig ¹, Geoffrey E. Lynn ², and Tammi Johnson ^1,2

1 Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

2 Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Uvalde, TX

The Madrean Sky Islands of southern Arizona are home to a wide diversity of iconic mammals and migratory birds that travel long distances and are commonly infested with ectoparasites. Through the consumption of host resources, ectoparasites can cause physical damage, alter behavior and immunocompetence, reduce fertility and fecundity, and vector pathogenic organisms. Few studies conducted within the Sky Islands have investigated arthropods and little is known about them due to their small size and the habitats they live in, which makes observations difficult. To expand on the known diversity of ectoparasites that can be found in this region, small mammals and birds were captured and examined monthly between August 2022 and September 2023. Here we report the ectoparasites collected after sampling over 900 mammals and 250 birds. Over 900 ticks, 1,900 mites, 1,900 fleas, and 600 lice were collected including the tick Amblyomma maculatum sensu lato, a vector for the human pathogen Rickettsia parkeri, and the flea Polygenis gwyni which can vector plague and several species of Bartonella. This survey of ectoparasites provides a baseline of species that are commonly encountered which can be used to assess wildlife population health as well as inform public health risk regarding those species which are known vectors of disease.