EFFECTS OF MATERNAL PARASITE LOAD ON OFFSPRING LIFE-HISTORY TRAITS INTHE COMMON LIZARD (LACERTA-VIVIPARA)

We studied the effect of maternal ectoparasite load (measured at partu rition) on the life-history traits of the offspring of the host Lacert a vivipara, the European common lizard. The ectoparasite, a mite belon ging to the family Laelapidae, had a detrimental effect on its host: p arasite load was associated with increased host mortality, and was neg atively correlated with host body mass. Parasite load was persistent o ver time, suggesting that parasite load can be predictable. Offspring of highly parasitised mothers had higher values of several fitness com ponents early in life than offspring of parasite-free mothers or light ly infested mothers. This was expressed in terms of increased F-1 year ling growth rate, and reproductive investment at first reproduction (m easured as F-2 hatchling mass). These results are interpreted as a hos t adaptation to attenuate the impact of parasites. Indeed, if high par asite loads arise from long exposure time to a constant population of parasites, and if the negative effects of parasites are additive over time, hosts could reduce the impact of parasites simply by investing m ore during the earlier stages of life. Naturally, having better perfor mance early in life should lead to higher mortality rates and/or lower fecundity later in life.