Abstract
(Sceloporus undulatus) is a female-larger, sexually-size
dimorphic lizard species that is heavily parasitized by chigger mites
(Eutrombicula alfreddugesi). In particular, the intensity of mite
parasitism is higher in male than in female juveniles during the period
of time when sex differences in growth rate lead to the development of
sexual size dimorphism (SSD). Sex-biased differences in fitness costs of
parasitism have been documented in other species. We tested whether a
sex-biased growth cost of parasitism contributes to the development of
SSD in S. undulatus. We measured growth and mite loads in two
cohorts of unmanipulated, field-active yearlings by conducting
descriptive mark-recapture studies during the activity seasons of 2016
and 2019. Yearling males had consistently higher mid-summer mite loads
and consistently lower growth rates than females. However, we found that
growth rate and body condition were independent of mite load in both
sexes. Furthermore, growth rates and mite loads were higher in 2019 than
in 2016. Our findings suggest that juveniles of S. undulatus are
highly tolerant of chigger mites and that any costs imposed by mites
must be at the expense of functions other than growth. We conclude that
sex-biased mite ectoparasitism does not contribute to sex differences in
growth rate and the development of SSD.