First Tropical American Species of the “Relict” Genus<i>Litoleptis,</i>and Relationships in Spaniinae (Diptera: Rhagionidae)

Grimaldi, David A.

doi:10.1206/3909.1

Cited by 686 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Our study system is formed by the fly Carnus hemapterus Nitzsch, 1818, a widespread bloodsucking ectoparasite of several bird species (Grimaldi, 1997), and a secondary cavity nesting bird species, the European roller (Coracias garrulus Linnaeus, 1758), breeding in nest boxes. This is a particularly well-suited study system insofar as (i) the parasite spends its whole life (except for the short dispersal stage, Veiga et al, 2019) in the host' nest, which facilitates research on predation through the parasite's various life stages, (ii) the nest material and the detritus accumulated in birds' nest boxes represent a key micro-habitat and food source for both parasitic and nonparasitic invertebrates (Heeb, 2000;Tryjanowski et al, 2001;Hanmer et al, 2017), including wasps parasitising Diptera (Peters & Abraham, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insect predation reduces the abundance of a nidicolous ectoparasite

Salido

Veiga

Reyes-López

et al. 2021

Ecological Entomology

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1. Parasites are one of the main actors in host-parasite interactions. Still, their role as a prey and the related consequences for such interactions and in other respects, such as food webs, are frequently overlooked.2. This paper analyses predation pressure on a ubiquitous avian ectoparasitic fly, Carnus hemapterus, identifies their main natural enemies and quantifies their relative effect on the abundance of the parasite. Also, the effect of nest-site type on their main enemies' predation pressure was analysed.3. Several ant species were found in the nest boxes of the host species, the European roller (Coracias garrulus), during the breeding season and preyed upon adult and larval stages of Carnus.4. Ants were also the putative predators of carnid pupae after the breeding season, when significant reduction (on average, by half) in the abundance of carnid pupae occurred in 75% of nest boxes within few months.5. Carnid pupae are also reported here, for the first time, to be parasitised by the parasitoid wasp Chartocerus conjugalis, whose prevalence was around 21%.6. Nest-site type had no clear effect on the predation rate of carnid pupae after the breeding season.7. It was concluded that predation is an important factor regulating the abundance of ectoparasites, and thus, it may influence the outcome of host-parasite relationships.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insect predation reduces the abundance of a nidicolous ectoparasite

Salido

Veiga

Reyes-López

et al. 2021

Ecological Entomology

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“…The duration of this diapause is sensitive to thermal and humidity changes (Amat‐Valero et al, 2013). Adult flies are winged and may disperse from the place of emergence, but once an appropriate active nest is located, they shed their wings and complete the life cycle within a unique host nest (Grimaldi, 1997). The hoopoe U. epops is a cavity‐nesting bird frequently parasitized by Carnus flies during the breeding season, which in the studied population spans from late February to the end of July (Martín‐Vivaldi et al, 2016).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overwinter users of nest cavities affect breeding birds via nest‐dwelling ectoparasites

et al. 2023

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Cavities used for avian reproduction in spring often host other organisms for roosting during winter, which should affect their microclimatic conditions and, then, the patterns of emergence of nest-dwelling ectoparasites of birds and successful parasitism. To prove these cascade effects, we experimentally blocked the entrance of half of nest boxes previously used for reproduction by hoopoes (Upupa epops), recorded temperature and humidity during the fall-winter period, and evaluated abundance, emergence of ectoparasitic flies (Carnus hemapterus), and intensity of parasitism in hoopoe nestlings growing in open and blocked nest boxes the next spring. As expected, experimental treatment as well as the occupancy of open nest boxes by rodents (i.e., mainly dormice [Eliomys quercinus]) affected temperature and humidity, but did not predict the onset or duration of Carnus emergence. Moreover, flies were more abundant in open nest boxes and, among them, those occupied by dormice showed the lowest abundance. Finally, hoopoe nestlings developing in nest boxes blocked during winter experienced lower intensity of ectoparasitism than those in open nest boxes. These hitherto undescribed cryptic effects of overwinter occupants of nest cavities on subsequent emergence and viability of nest-dwelling ectoparasites would profoundly impact on the interaction with their avian hosts.

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“…Adult flies have a winged and a wingless phase; after emergence, adults are winged, but they lose their wings as soon as they locate a suitable host (Roulin, 1998). Carnid flies actively colonize hosts’ nests during the winged phase (Grimaldi, 1997; Veiga et al. , 2019) and complete their cycle in their hosts’ nests.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This paper researches to which extent predation pressure on a bird ectoparasite is context‐dependent. To this end, the paper looks into the system formed by the European roller ( Coracias garrulus Linnaeus, 1758), a cavity‐nesting bird breeding in nest boxes, the parasitic fly Carnus hemapterus Nitzsch, 1818, a widespread bloodsucking ectoparasite of many bird species (Grimaldi, 1997) and the insect predators of the latter. This system is ideal to explore the context dependency of insect predation on parasites for several reasons: (i) except for its short dispersal stage (Veiga et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Context‐dependent insect predation pressure on an avian ectoparasite

et al. 2023

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Context dependence arises when ecological relationships vary with the conditions under which they are observed. Context dependence of interactions involving parasites is poorly known, even if it is key to understanding host–parasite relationships and food web dynamics. This paper investigates to which extent predation pressure on an avian ectoparasite (Carnus hemapterus) is context‐dependent. Based on a predator‐exclusion experiment, predation pressure on C. hemapterus pupae in the host's nest for 3 years, and its variation between habitat types are quantified. Variation in precipitation and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is also explored as a likely cause of context dependency. We hypothesize that predation pressure should fluctuate with such surrogates of food availability, so that inter‐annual and intra‐annual differences may emerge. The number of nests with significant reduction of pupae varied widely among years ranging from 24% to 75%. However, average pupae reduction in nests where a significant reduction occurred did not vary between years. No differences in predation rates between habitat types were detected. Precipitation and NDVI varied widely between years and NDVI was consistently lower around nests on cliffs than around nests on trees and farmhouses. Parallels were found between variation in predation pressure and precipitation/NDVI at a wide scale (highest predation the driest year, and much lower the 2 rainier ones), but not at the nest scale. This paper shows clear context‐dependent insect predation pressure on an ectoparasite under natural conditions, and that such interaction changes in signs rather than magnitude between years. The causes for these variations require longer‐term studies and/or well‐designed, large‐scale experiments.

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First Tropical American Species of the “Relict” GenusLitoleptis,and Relationships in Spaniinae (Diptera: Rhagionidae)

Cited by 686 publications

References 19 publications

Insect predation reduces the abundance of a nidicolous ectoparasite

Insect predation reduces the abundance of a nidicolous ectoparasite

Overwinter users of nest cavities affect breeding birds via nest‐dwelling ectoparasites

Context‐dependent insect predation pressure on an avian ectoparasite

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