Desvendando aspectos das interações ecológicas de anfíbios com artrópodes e helmintos

Abstract

The role of organisms living in association with other species has been widely discussed in ecology and evolutionary biology, since these interactions can confer benefits or harm to their hosts. In amphibians, symbiotic associations involve a diverse range of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, helminths, and arthropods, occupying distinct habitats. Among these interactions, parasitism stands out as one of the most widespread strategies, with myiasis, caused by dipteran larvae, being a frequently detrimental association in anurans, leading to severe tissue damage and host mortality. In contrast, mutualistic relationships, such as those involving nematodes of the genus Gyrinicola, can favor the nutrition and development of the host, facilitating the decomposition and assimilation of organic matter in tadpoles. Despite their ecological relevance, information on the interactions between dipterans and anurans and helminths in Neotropical tadpoles remains scarce and fragmented, with most studies concentrated in temperate regions. Therefore, this thesis investigated the diversity and dynamics of symbiotic relationships in anurans, focusing on the ecological aspects of arthropods and helminths associated with anuran amphibian hosts. The study is structured in three chapters, where Chapter 1 presents a comprehensive global review of myiasis in amphibians, addressing host-parasite interactions, anatomical preferences, prevalence and mortality, as well as their ecological and physiological impacts. Chapter 2 presents new records of myiasis in Neotropical anurans, updating the geographic distribution and synthesizing ecological patterns based on published and unpublished data. Chapter 3 examines the ecological aspects of Gyrinicola sp. This study presents data on the diversity, distribution, and ecological relevance of symbiotic interactions in amphibians, particularly in tadpoles of 13 species of anurans from the Amazon, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest biomes, based on a decade of field collections. Taken together, these results broaden our understanding of the diversity, distribution, and ecological relevance of symbiotic interactions in amphibians, highlighting the importance of integrative approaches to elucidate their ecological and evolutionary patterns.