RESUMO
Ticks parasitize various hosts, including humans, and are known to transmit pathogens that can be harmful not only to animals but also to humans. To evaluate the possible presence of pathogens in ticks, we aimed to collect and identify tick fauna specimens in Lagoa Comprida Municipal Natural Park, an anthropogenic urban area located in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. A total of 1216 ticks, of which 51.2% were Amblyomma sculptum, 1.2% were Amblyomma dubitatum, and 41% were Amblyomma spp. were collected. These results show that the prevalence of A. sculptum is significantly higher than that of A. dubitatum across all four seasons. Molecular analyses revealed positive samples for the genus Babesia, including the confirmation of Babesia bigemina in an A. sculptum specimen, marking the first record of this relationship. This unexpected finding demands greater attention and deeper analysis in the context of the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases.
Assuntos
Amblyomma , Babesia , Animais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Babesia/isolamento & purificação , Infestações por Carrapato/veterinária , Infestações por Carrapato/epidemiologia , Infestações por Carrapato/parasitologia , Feminino , Babesiose/epidemiologia , Babesiose/parasitologia , Masculino , Prevalência , Ixodidae/parasitologiaRESUMO
Praying mantis and spider species are common food items in the diet of several anuran species. Nevertheless, in this study we report the predation of young treefrogs Osteocephalus taurinus by two spider species, a Pisauridae and a Trechaleidae (Neoctenus sp.) and by the praying mantis Eumusonia sp. in Mato Grosso, Central Brazil. The great abundance of this treefrog in the region, combined with its small body size during the juvenil stage, favor its predation by generalists predators. Indeed, more studies are needed to quantify the real influence of invertebrate predators on anuran populations.
Espécies de aranhas e louva-a-deus são itens alimentares de diversas espécies de anuros. Porém, aqui reportamos a predação de jovens anuros da espécie Osteocephalus taurinus, por duas espécies de aranha, uma Pisauridae e uma Trechaleidae (Neoctenus sp.), e por um louva-a-deus Eumusonia sp. em Mato Grosso, Brasil Central. A grande abundância desse anuro na região, aliada a seu pequeno porte durante a fase juvenil, favorece sua predação por invertebrados generalistas. Entretanto, mais estudos devem ser conduzidos para quantificar a real influência de predadores invertebrados nas populações de anuros.