Hyperparasitism: Mites Found on Flat Flies Carried by Birds
Undergraduate research project by Samuelle Simard-Provençal (2020) – Poster
with mites on thorax removed from a passerine
Hippoboscid flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) are ectoparasites, with one sub-family, Ornithomyinae, mainly parasitizing birds. Despite being common parasites, little is known regarding their distribution, species host-parasite interactions, and instances of mite hyperparasitism.
During the fall migrations of 2018 and 2019, hippoboscid flies were collected from live birds trapped in mist nets at bird banding stations in Nanaimo and Metchosin on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
A total of 162 flies of six different species were collected, and 55 of these flies were observed to carry hyperparasitic mites (prevalence = 34.0%). Hippoboscid flies were recovered from 29 different bird species accounting for 120 individual birds. The bird species with the greatest number of flat fly-infested birds were Oregon Junco, Junco hyemalis oreganus, Puget-sound White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis, and Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodica.
Of the 162 flat flies preserved for species identification, a total of 95 specimens were O. vicina (58.6%), 47 were O. bequaerti (29.0%), 11 were O. anchineuria (6.8%), and three were identified to the genus Icosta. Gravid female mites were attached to the flies’ abdomens and were nearly all associated with a cluster of eggs.
The findings of this study contribute to the limited knowledge of these ectoparasitic flies, hyperparasitic mites, and their host associations.
