Determinants of abundance and effects of blood-sucking flying insects in the nest of a hole-nesting bird |
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Authors: | Gustavo Tomás Santiago Merino Josué Martínez-de la Puente Juan Moreno Judith Morales Elisa Lobato |
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Institution: | (1) Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J. Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain;(2) Centre for Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Postbus 40, 6666 ZG Heteren, The Netherlands;(3) Present address: Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70-275, 04510 México D.F., México |
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Abstract: | Compared to non-flying nest-dwelling ectoparasites, the biology of most species of flying ectoparasites and its potential
impact on avian hosts is poorly known and rarely, if ever, reported. In this study we explore for the first time the factors
that may affect biting midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) abundances in the nest cavity
of a bird, the hole-nesting blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus, and report their effects on adults and nestlings during reproduction. The abundance of biting midges was positively associated
with nest mass, parental provisioning effort and abundance of blowflies and black flies, while negatively associated with
nestling condition. Furthermore, a medication treatment to reduce blood parasitaemias in adult birds revealed that biting
midges were more abundant in nests of females whose blood parasitaemias were experimentally reduced. This finding would be
in accordance with these insect vectors attacking preferentially uninfected or less infected hosts to increase their own survival.
The abundance of black flies in the population was lower than that of biting midges and increased in nests with later hatching
dates. No significant effect of black fly abundance on adult or nestling condition was detected. Blood-sucking flying insects
may impose specific, particular selection pressures on their hosts and more research is needed to better understand these
host–parasite associations. |
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Keywords: | Biting midges Black flies Blood parasite– vector– vertebrate host relationship Cyanistes caeruleus Nest mass |
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