Philornis

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Philornis
Philornis downsi adult.jpg
Philornis downsi
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Muscidae
Subfamily: Azeliinae
Tribe: Reinwardtiini
Genus: Philornis
Meinert, 1890 [1]
Synonyms

Philornis is a genus of around 50 species of fly (Diptera, Muscidae) from Central and South America. Their larvae are subcutaneous parasites of nestling birds. [3] They are sometimes referred to as "bot flies" (e.g. [4] ), though they are not related to true bot flies (family Oestridae).

Nest of Neothraupis fasciata with parasitized nestlings by P. torquans Nest of Neothraupis fasciata with parasitized nestlings.jpg
Nest of Neothraupis fasciata with parasitized nestlings by P. torquans

Two species[ which? ] are also found in the southern United States. One species, P. downsi , has been accidentally introduced to the Galapagos Archipelago, posing a major threat to some of its endemic birds. [6] [7]

They parasitize a wide range of bird species including psittacines. A study in the Peruvian Amazon compared parasite prevalence among different nests of scarlet macaws at the Tambopata research site, to see whether any of the nest types resulted in higher infestation. [4] Parasite prevalence was significantly lower in natural nest hollows than in artificial nest boxes. The most extreme intensity was 63 larvae per chick, [4] which is higher than those found for other Neotropical parrots. [8] The study also described a new and efficient technique to remove larvae using a reverse syringe design snake bite extractor. [4]

Species

Related Research Articles

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<i>Philornis downsi</i> Species of fly

Philornis downsi, also known as the avian vampire fly, is a species of fly that was first recorded in Trinidad and Brazil in the 1990s. It has been accidentally introduced to the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). Adults of P. downsi feed on fruit. Eggs are laid in bird nests and hatch into parasitic larvae that reside in the nest material and emerge at night to feed both internally and externally on the blood and flesh of developing nestlings. The parasite causes significant mortality in Darwin's finch nestlings and threatens the survival of some rarer species such as the mangrove finch and the medium tree finch. To protect the threatened finch populations, insecticide-laced cotton has been supplied as nesting material for the finches, with the results being highly successful in combating P. downsi infestations at a localized scale. Currently, Biological pest control agents, including Conuraannulifera, are being investigated for their potential safety and efficacy in eradicating P. downsi on the Galapagos Islands.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blondeliini</span> Tribe of flies

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References

  1. 1 2 Meinert, F. (1890). "Philornis molesta, en paa fugle snyltende tachinarie". Naturhist. For. Kjobenhavn, Vidensk. Meddel. 1889 (ser. 5, 1): 304–317, 1 pl.
  2. 1 2 Townsend, C. H. T. (1927). "Synopse dos generos muscoideos da regiao humida tropical da America, con generos e especies". Revista do Museu Paulista. 15: 203–385.
  3. ↑ Couri, M. S.; Carvalho, C. J. B. (2003). "Systematic Relations Among Philornis Meinert, Passeromyia Rodhain & Villeneuve and Allied Genera (Diptera, Muscidae)" (PDF). Braz. J. Biol. 63 (2): 223–32. doi: 10.1590/s1519-69842003000200007 . PMID   14509844.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Olah, George; Vigo, Gabriela; Ortiz, Lizzie; Rozsa, Lajos; Brightsmith, Donald J. (2013). "Philornis sp. bot fly larvae in free living scarlet macaw nestlings and a new technique for their extraction" (PDF). Veterinary Parasitology. 196 (1–2): 245–249. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.12.052. PMID   23384580.
  5. ↑ Pujol-Luz, José Roberto; Duca, Charles; Marini, Miguel Ângelo; Barbosa, Leandro; Couri, Márcia Souto (2018-11-23). "A new host for Philornis torquans (Diptera, Muscidae) from the Brazilian Cerrado". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia. 58: e20185857. doi: 10.11606/1807-0205/2018.58.57 . ISSN   1807-0205.
  6. ↑ Bulgarella, Mariana; Lincango, M. Piedad; Lahuatte, Paola F.; Oliver, Jonathan D.; Cahuana, Andrea; Ramírez, Ismael E.; Sage, Roxanne; Colwitz, Alyssa J.; Freund, Deborah A.; Miksanek, James R.; Moon, Roger D.; Causton, Charlotte E.; Heimpel, George E. (2022). "Persistence of the invasive bird-parasitic fly Philornis downsi over the host interbreeding period in the Galapagos Islands". Scientific Reports. 12 (2325): 2325. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-06208-5 . PMC   8837626 . PMID   35149738. S2CID   246776484.
  7. ↑ Couri, M. S. (1999). Myiasis caused by obligatory parasites Ia. Philornis Meinert (Muscidae). In Guimarães J. H., Papavero N. (eds.), Myiasis in man and animals in the Neotropical region;. São Paulo, Brazil.: Editora Pleiade. pp. 44–70.
  8. ↑ Seixas, G. H. F.; Mourao, G. (2003). "Growth of nestlings of the blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva) raised in the wild or in captivity". Ornitologia Neotropical. 14: 295–305.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Couri, M. S. (1984). "Notes and descriptions of Philornis flies (Diptera, Muscidae, Cyrtoneurinininae)". Rev. Bras. Entomol. 28: 473–490.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dodge, H. Rodney; Aitken, Thomas H. G. (1968). "Philornis Flies from Trinidad (Diptera: Muscidae)". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. Kansas (Central States) Entomological Society. 41 (1): 134–154. JSTOR   25083688.


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