Using modified trapping regimes to understand the behavioral and spatial ecology of Philornis downsi (Diptera: Muscidae).

Autor:	Boulton RA; Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4NF, UK.; Laboratory of Genetics, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 PB, The Netherlands., Cahuana A; Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador., Lahuatte PF; Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador., Ramírez E; Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador., Sevilla C; Galapagos National Park Directorate, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador., Causton CE; Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Environmental entomology [Environ Entomol] 2024 Jun 13; Vol. 53 (3), pp. 315-325.
DOI:	10.1093/ee/nvae014
Abstrakt:	The avian vampire fly Philornis downsi (Dodge & Aitken) (Diptera: Muscidae) is native to continental South America and the Caribbean, but invasive in the Galapagos Archipelago. The larvae of P. downsi feed on the blood and tissues of the nestlings of 75% of the small land bird species that are endemic or native to Galapagos, causing high in-nest mortality and severe population declines in some species. Efficient trapping techniques are vital to safeguarding these birds in the short term as well as for monitoring fly populations, but basic information about the ecology of the fly is still needed to help develop a species-appropriate trapping method. In this study, we used a novel trapping regime with a vertical distribution to make inferences about P. downsi's behavioral and spatial ecology and to optimize trap catch. Our results showed that male and female P. downsi were trapped in greater numbers below the canopy (3.1-7.5 m), lower down than other commonly caught insect species (5.1-11.5 m). Notably, the effect of trap height remained consistent across seasons and different weather conditions. These findings suggest that P. downsi tend to move at heights where their hosts nest (at or below the canopy) and do not spend time above the canopy. This also makes it unlikely that strategies such as hill-topping or aerial swarming are being used to locate mates. As such, trapping and control efforts should be focused below the canopy in forests with similar canopy heights to effectively capture P. downsi and reduce bycatch of other insects. (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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