Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:33:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 HonaraMS_DISSERT.pdf: 1764050 bytes, checksum: 8846e2477a7b0e0f242d2ada60121e07 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-26 / This study to aimed investigate the community of ectoparasites associated with birds in the Mata do Olho D ?gua, in the municipality of Maca?ba, Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil, its structure and the ambiental and hosts influential variables on it, and to verify microhabitats preferences by species of chewing lice and feather mites. We examined 172 individuals belonging to 38 species of Passeriformes and non-Passeriformes. 12 new geographic records are reported and 11 host-parasite associations not yet known for chewing lice and feather mites species. Significant relationship was found between the abundance of chewing lice and the variables total length (r = 0.29, p <0.05) and exposed culmen (r = 0.38, p <0.05) of the hosts. A principal component (PC1) accounted for 90.1% of the hosts morphological variation was significantly influential on the abundance of chewing lice (p <0.05), indicating that the morphological characteristics of the hosts may be positively influencing the abundance of these ectoparasites. Significantly higher frequency of individuals with high loads of chewing lice was detected during the dry period (x ? = 8.5, p <0.05), corroborating studies that propose that birds of arid environments suffer as much pressure as those of parasitic humid environments. Analyses of null models of co-occurrence and niche overlap showed a high degree of structure in the feather mites and chewing lice assemblies, when compared with other groups, and preferences in the use of microhabitats by taxa identified. These results corroborate ecological theories in host-parasite systems, contribute to the knowledge of ectoparasites associated with neotropical birds, and the need for experimental studies, as well as further deepening the biology of these arthropods / O presente estudo teve como objetivos investigar a comunidade de ectoparasitos associada a aves Mata do Olho D ?gua, localizada no munic?pio de Maca?ba, Rio Grande do Norte, BR, sua estrutura e a influ?ncia de vari?veis ambientais e morfol?gicas dos hospedeiros, al?m de averiguar prefer?ncias de microh?bitat pelas esp?cies de ?caros de pena e mal?fagos em associadas ?s aves em estudo. Foram examinados 172 indiv?duos pertencentes a 38 esp?cies de aves Passeriformes e n?o-Passeriformes. S?o reportados 12 novos registros geogr?ficos para o Brasil e 11 associa??es ainda n?o conhecidas com hospedeiros de ?caros de pena e mal?fagos. Foi detectada rela??o significativa entre abund?ncia de mal?fagos e as vari?veis comprimento total (r= 0,29; p<0,05) e c?lmen exposto (r= 0,38; p<0,05) dos hospedeiros. Uma componente principal (CP1) respons?vel por 90,1% da varia??o morfol?gica dos hospedeiros foi significativamente influente sobre a abund?ncia de mal?fagos (p<0,05), indicando que caracter?sticas morfol?gicas dos hospedeiros podem estar influenciando positivamente a abund?ncia desses ectoparasitos. Frequ?ncia significativamente maior de indiv?duos com altas cargas de mal?fagos foi dectada durante o per?odo de seca (x?= 8,5; p<0,05), corroborando estudos que prop?em que aves de ambientes ?ridos sofrem tanta press?o parasit?ria quanto aquelas de ambientes ?midos. An?lises de modelos nulos de coocorr?ncia e sobreposi??o de nicho apontaram alto grau de estrutura nas assembleias de ?caros e mal?fagos, quando comparadas com outros grupos, e prefer?ncias no uso de microh?bitats pelos t?xons identificados. Estes resultados corroboram teorias ecol?gicas nos sistemas parasito-hospedeiro, contribuem para o conhecimento dos ectoparasitos associados ?s aves neotropicais e apontam a necessidade de estudos experimentais, assim como maior aprofundamento na biologia desses artr?podos