Patterns of parasitism in monarch butterflies during the breeding season in eastern North America

• Published in: Ecological entomology Vol. 43; no. 1; pp. 28 - 36
• Main Authors: FLOCKHART, D. T. TYLER, DABYDEEN, ANJULI, SATTERFIELD, DARA A., HOBSON, KEITH A., WASSENAAR, LEONARD I., NORRIS, D. RYAN
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2018; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Autumn; Breeding; Breeding seasons; Butterflies & moths; Culling; Danaus plexippus; deuterium; Fitness; Hypotheses; infection prevalence; Infections; Insect migration; Isotopes; Migrants; Migration; monarch butterfly; Parasites; Parasitism; Pathogens; Protozoa; seasonal migration; Stable isotopes; North America
• ISSN: 0307-6946; 1365-2311
• DOI: 10.1111/een.12460

1. Migratory behaviour can result in reduced prevalence of pathogens in host populations. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain this relationship: (i) ‘migratory escape’, where migrants benefit from escaping pathogen accumulation in contaminated environments; and (ii) ‘migratory culling’, where the selective removal of infected individuals occurs during migration. 2. In the host–parasite system between the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus Linn.) and its obligate protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), there is evidence to support both hypotheses, particularly during the monarchs' autumn migration. However, these processes can operate simultaneously and could vary throughout the monarchs' annual migratory cycle. Assessing the relative strength for each hypothesis has not previously been done. 3. To evaluate both hypotheses, parasite infection prevalence was examined in monarchs sampled in eastern North America during April–September, and stable isotopes (δ2H, δ13C) were used to estimate natal origin and infer migration distance. There was stronger support for the migratory escape hypothesis, wherein infection prevalence increased over the breeding season and was higher at southern latitudes, where the breeding season tends to be longer compared with northern latitudes. Little support was found for the migratory culling hypothesis, as infection prevalence was similar whether monarchs travelled shorter or longer distances. 4. These results suggest that migration allows individuals to escape parasites not only during the autumn, as shown in previous work, but during the monarchs' spring and summer movements when they recolonise the breeding range. These results imply a potential fitness advantage to monarchs that migrate further north to exploit parasite‐free habitats. Migratory behavior can result in reduced prevalence of pathogens in host populations through escaping pathogen accumulation in contaminated environments or the selective removal of infected individuals that occurs during migration. Infection prevalence in monarchs increased over the breeding season and was higher at southern latitudes compared to northern latitudes. There was no effect of migration distance on infection prevalence. These results imply a potential fitness advantage to monarchs that migrate further north to exploit parasite‐free habitats during the monarchs' spring and summer movements when they recolonize the breeding range.