First record of the avian ectoparasite Philornis downsi Dodge & Aitken, 1968 (Diptera: Muscidae) in Argentina

Abstract

Species of Philornis Meinert, 1890 (Diptera, Muscidae) are Neotropical dipterans that include species with parasitic larvae which feed on nestling birds. To date, all Philornis species that have been recorded from Argentina have parasitic subcutaneous larvae. Here, for the first time for Argentina, we report the finding of Philornis downsi Dodge & Aitken, 1968, a fly with a nest-dwelling, semi-haematophagous larva. This record, from the humid Chaco ecoregion of Argentina in the nest of a saffron finch Sicalis flaveola pelzelni Sclater, substantially extends the known distribution of this species. We also report the consensus sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2 regions of three of the specimens for future reference and comparison. Further investigation is needed to determine whether Argentina is part of the historical range of P. downsi or, alternatively, represents a recent expansion of its range, perhaps due to climatic changes or other factors of global environmental variation.

Host range and community structure of avian nest parasites in the genus Philornis (Diptera: Muscidae) on the island of Trinidad

“…This species occurs in Argentina (Silvestri et al. ), Brazil (Couri , ), and mainland Ecuador (Bulgarella et al. ).…”

“…Another interesting case is Philornis downsi, which is known from a number of localities in mainland South America, and has recently invaded the Gal apagos Islands. This species occurs in Argentina (Silvestri et al 2011), Brazil (Couri 1984, and mainland Ecuador (Bulgarella et al 2015). After its accidental introduction into the Gal apagos Islands, it has been reported parasitizing 18 species of birds in five families (Fessl and Tebbich 2002;O'Connor et al 2010;Causton et al 2013), including 14 endemic species that represent a clear expansion of host range for this fly.…”

Taxonomic Shifts inPhilornisLarval Behaviour and Rapid Changes inPhilornis downsiDodge & Aitken (Diptera: Muscidae): An Invasive Avian Parasite on the Galápagos Islands

“…Philornis downsi larval development is split into three instar development stages. 1st instar larvae generally reside in the naris and ear canals of developing nestlings, but some have also been found moving freely within the nesting material [21,52,53]. First instars are commonly collected from 2 to 3 day old nestlings [43].…”

A new host for Philornis torquans (Diptera, Muscidae) from the Brazilian Cerrado

“…Because of this association, some bird species only found in the Galapagos are now threatened, including the Darwin's finches (Passeriformes, Thraupidae) and the Mockingbirds (Passeriformes, Mimidae). Likewise, Argentina is giving particular attention to this problem, with several studies, including investigations on the effects of climate variability on the lifecycles of Philornis species and the impact on the health of their bird hosts (Couri et al, 2009;Antoniazzi et al, 2011;Silvestri et al, 2011;Manzoli et al, 2011). Considering this, information on the biology of Philornis species is essential to support control methods.…”