Hippoboscid Flies Research Articles

Ectoparasites from the cowbird, Molothrus ater (Boddaert), at London, Ontario.

Parasites from five cowbirds included mites, Ornithonyssus sylviarum, feather lice, Bruelia sp. and Menacanthus sp., and hippoboscid flies, Ornithomyia fringillina.

Haemoproteus palumbis sp. nov. (Sporozoa, Haemosporina) of the English wood-pigeon Columba p. palumbus.

SYNOPSIS. Haemoproteus palumbis sp. nov. is described from the English wood‐pigeon, Columba p. palumbus. Its pigmented gametocytes inhabit erythrocytes and resemble those of H. columbae (in C. livia) but may be slightly longer and narrower. It is characterized by having oval or slightly lobed, not elongate, schizonts in endothelial cells of lung and heart, a prepatent period of 14 days, and a sporogonic cycle in the hippoboscid fly Ornithomya avicularia lasting 6 1/2–7 days. H. palumbis sp. nov. cannot infect C. livia but can infect a small proportion of individuals of Pseudolynchia canariensis, the vector of H. columbae.

Dipetalonema dracunculoides (Cobbold, 1870), from the Dog in Kenya: with a Note on its Development in the Louse-fly, Hippobosca longipennis

1. Dipetalonema dracunculoides (Cobbold, 1870), has been found in dogs (Canis familiaris), in the Turkana District of Kenya and in a hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), in the Southern Rift Valley.2. The dimensions of six male and six female worms agree with previous descriptions from hyaenas and dogs in Africa and from dogs in Portugal.3. Infective larvae were found in seven out of ten Hippobosca longipennis taken from a heavily infected dog.4. Morphologically the infective larvae are similar to those of other Dipetalonema spp., but they are much larger, averaging 2,400μ in length and 35μ in breadth with a tail length of 85μ.5. In Africa the distribution of the parasite coincides with the distribution of H. longipennis on dogs and hyaenas.6. This is the first time that a hippoboscid fly has been incriminated as the vector of a filarial worm. It is suggested that many other filarial species may be transmitted by Hippoboscidae.

Notes on the Biology of Microlynchia pusilla Speiser, a Lousefly of Mourning Doves

A culture of the lousefly Microlynchia pusilla Speiser was established on two mourning doves and maintained for 7 months. The culture supplied a total of 201 puparia. Normal emergence of flies from 96 of 144 puparia incubated at room temperature required 19 ? 2 days. Diapause apparently did not occur in this species since frozen puparia failed to produce flies, and puparia cooled in the refrigerator were delayed in emergence only the length of time cooled. Larviposition and the release of adhesive prepuparia occurred away from the dove at intervals of 3 days. Observations were made on the characteristics of prepuparia, puparia, pupae, longevity, copulation, and feeding. Speiser in 1902 described Microlynchia pusilla (= Lynchia pusilla), a parasitic and pupiparous hippoboscid fly, from an avian host in Cuba. In the United States M. pusilla has been collected from 19 species of birds with 51 individual records of collection. Hosts are found among nine species of the Passeriformes, five species of the Columbiformes, three species of the Galliformes, and one species each of the Cuculiformes and Caprimulgidae (Bequaert, 1953). Bequaert (1953) states that M. pusilla appears to be adaptable to new hosts but that evidence that these hosts are used for breeding purposes is lacking. He furthermore states (1955) that larviposition and the puparium are unknown. Although reports of efforts to culture M. pusilla and to collect the puparium are apparently nonexistent, valuable information is available on the culture techniques of other species of louseflies. O'Roke (1930) and Tarshis (1958) described the biology of Lynchia hirsuta (Ferris). Coatney (1931), Prouty and Coatney (1934), and Huff (1937) studied Pseudolynchia canariensis Macquart (Pseudolynchia maura Bigot). Information on Stilbometopa impressa (Bigot) was given by Herman (1944) and Tarshis (1958). Bennett (1961) worked with Ornithomyia fringillina (Curtis), Ornithoica vicina (Walker), and Lynchia americana (Leach). Herms (1937) experimented with Lynchia americana (= Lync a fusca Falcoz). The object of this paper is to present observations on the life cycle and cage biology of M. pusilla. MATERIALS AND METHODS In June 1961 four male and one female Microlynchia pusilla and a pair of Stilbometopa podopostyla (Speiser) were captured in Denton County, Texas, from 7 of 21 mourning doves by the widemouth gallon jar technique of Couch (1961). One female and two male M. pusilla and both S. podopostyla were transferred immediately from the jar to a fly-proof plastic cage that contained six penraised, 8-week-old bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). In September 1961 seven M. pusilla were captured from 6 of 37 mourning doves by the same method, and three male and two female flies were transferred to a plastic cage that contained two mourning doves (Zenaidura macroura). Transfer of the fly was made from the jar to a polyethylene bag; the bag was then everted inside the cage and the fly was released. Two of the flies were transferred immediately in the field, two were placed in the cage after a period of 1 hr, and one fly after 4 hr. One male fly was lost in the process of transferring the fly to the cage a a second male fly died before transfer was attempted. The cage (Fig. 1) was constructed of ,6 inch Plexiglas cut and cemented to form a box. Ventilation openings on two sides and the top were covered with brass strainer cloth attached to the plastic with household cement (DuCo). The water box was covered with a plastic plate with a hole in the top large enough for the head of the bird, and the food box was protected from scratching activities by four plastic rods across the top of the box. A 2-inch strip cut at a 450 angle from the front wall formed the front of the removable tray. The cage as well as the tray had a bottom. A wood perch was added to the cage to reduce perching Received for publication 4 May 1962.

Parasites of the Mourning Dove (Zenaidura macroura carolinensis) in Illinois

The mourning doves used in this study were collected in the field by shooting. Most were obtained during the first 2 weeks of the Sept. 1-30 hunting season, but others were collected in late summer or late in the hunting season. A few were nestlings. Blood smears were made from 464 doves. They were usually made within a few minutes after the doves had been taken in the field, altho smears of some of the doves from Cook County were made from the heart blood several hours after death. Upon return to the laboratory, the smears were fixed with methyl alcohol, stained with Giemsa's stain, and searched for 10 minutes under the oil immersion microscope objective. Sex and age were determined by dissection, and the age of the immature birds was determined more closely by the primary molt stage. Since a high incidence of Haemoproteus was observed in the first year of the survey, a search was made for its probable vector. About 150 doves were placed in tightly sealed envelopes almost immediately after having been killed, and both the doves and the envelopes were examined for hippoboscid flies in the laboratory. In addition, all the birds collected were inspected at least cursorily for ectoparasites while being plucked for weight and fat studies. The plucked feathers of several of them were placed in Berlese funnels to collect ectoparasites. Finally, 42 nests were placed in Berlese funnels to collect their arthropod denizens. The viscera of more than 50 doves were fixed in formalin for helminth examination. RESULTS Blood Parasites. By far the most common blood parasites were Haemoproteus saccharovi and H. maccallumi. The prevalences of these two species in relation to age of host are given for each year in Table I. The prevalence in the 392 immature

West Nile virus infection in arthropods.

Summary 1. Mosquitoes, ticks, houseflies, and probably human body lice were found to be susceptible to parenteral infection with West Nile virus. Chicken mites, bedbugs, rat fleas, hippoboscid flies, and cockroaches proved to be refractory. 2. Culex univittatus, C. antennatus, and C. pipiens were infected readily when blood having a virus titer of 4.5 was ingested. A titer of 2.5 was sufficient to infect many individuals. 3. C. pipiens and C. univittatus became infected and were capable of transmitting the virus when kept at mean daily temperatures of 12–23°C. 4. C. univittatus transmitted the virus as soon as 5 days after the infective blood meal and for at least 33 days thereafter at 28–32°C. 5. The tick Ornithodoros savignyi, when infected parenterally, transmitted the virus while biting infant mice, and the virus was isolated from the coxal fluid. This tick was also infected by feeding on the blood of infected mice, but failed to transmit the virus when infected in this manner. Ornithodoros erraticus and Argas persicus showed evidence of infection but did not transmit the virus.

Transmission of Haemoproteus lophortyx O'Roke of the California quail by hippoboscid flies of the species Stilbometopa impressa (Bigot) and Lynchia hirsuta Ferris

The digestive and salivary systems of Stilbometopa impressa were dissected and found to be quite similar to these systems in other avian Hippoboscidae. The protozoan parasite, Haemoproteus lophortyx O'Roke of the California Quail, Lophortyx californica (Shaw and Nodder) was successfully transmitted from quail to quail by the bite of the quail hippoboscid, S. impressa. Of a total of 26 experiments with experimentally infected, laboratory reared flies five were positive and showed prepatent periods of 44, 60, 103, 151 and 162 days. Four of these experimental studies were carried out in a screened outdoor insectary where the monthly mean temperatures throughout the experiments were below 65 °F. One experiment was conducted in a constant temperature room maintained at 86 °F. A total of 34 experiments with naturally infected S. impressa as also carried out. Four of these experiments were positive. The prepatent period in one of these experiments was 44 days, in one 21 days, and in two it was 20 days. All attempts to demonstrate fly-bite transmission with L. hirsuta were unsuccessful. Though large numbers of these flies were taken from trapped quail, these flies could not be used satisfactorily for transmission experiments or for the establishment of large colonies as the quail devoured them too rapidly. Sporogonic stages (sporozoites and oocysts) of H. lophortyx could never be found in S. impressa or L. hirsuta reared in the laboratory and fed on heavily infected quail or in flies of either species taken from infected, trapped quail. Lungs were removed aseptically from quail infected with H. lophortyx and macerated with physiological saline. Small quantities were inoculated intramuscularly, intraperitoneally and subcutaneously into noninfected quail. Three of the twenty tissue transplant experiments were positive. The prepatent period in one experiment was 11 days and in each of the other two it was 21 days.

Mites of the Genera Myialges and Microlichus (Acarina: Epidermoptidae) from Avian and Insect Hosts

Very little is known of the life cycle of the mites. The male is described for only two species, Microlichus avus (Trouessart, 1887), and Myialges trinotoni (Cooreman), and there is a question as to whether the former is actually conspecific with the female M. avus since it was collected from a different host and apparently in the absence of female mites (Trouessart and Neumann, 1888). Radford (1949) described the male of M. trinotoni from a series of mites previously identified as Myialges caulotoon Speiser by Vitzthum. Most of the specimens examined in this study were collected over a four-year period from 1948 to 1951 in conjunction with a project on quail malaria which entailed collection of hippoboscid flies from birds in the wild state. A total of 2,189 hippoboscid flies was obtained from 2,430 California Valley Quail, Lophortyx californica vallicola (Ridgway), trapped in eight counties (Napa, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo and Kern) in California. Of these 58.9 per cent were Stilbometopa impressa (Bigot) and 41.1 per cent were Lynchia hirsuta Ferris. The collections were made from June through November, but the peak months for flies appear to be August, September and October. In one study area, Chiles Valley (Napa County), where collection records were available on an annual basis, there was a complete absence of both species of flies from January to May. In this area the first specimens of Lynchia hirsuta were taken during the first week of June and specimens of Stilbometopa impressa were first obtained during the second week of July. Lynchia hirsuta were also taken during the middle of June at the San Pablo Dam area (Contra Costa County). Although exact data are not available from the other study areas for the winter and spring months, trappers have reported seeing quail flies as early as April in Monterey Co., San Benito Co., and San Luis Obispo Co. Species of flies were not noted. Of the two species of flies collected only Lynchia hirsuta was found parasitized by mites, although both species of flies were found living on the same individual bird. Of the 900 specimens of L. hirsuta taken from trapped quail, 20 (2.2 per cent) were found parasitized with mites. Eighteen of the infested flies harbored Myialges anchora Sergent and Trouessart, and two flies were found to harbor a new species

The relationship between Mallophaga and hippoboscid flies

It has been known for a long time that certain species of Mallophaga attach themselves to hippoboscid flies, the act taking place on the bird host. This has been referred to as Phoresy, ‘a type of interrelationship between insects in which one is carried on the body of another larger insect, but the former does not feed on the latter’, or, in other words, free passage without food.

AN UNUSUAL REACTION TO THE BITE OF THE DOVE LOUSE FLY, STILBOMETOPA PODOPOSTYLA SPEISER

Entomologic and medical literature contain but few references to hippoboscid flies biting human beings, and we have found no instances of severe reactions following the bites of these insects. Brumpt 1 stated that the injury is scarcely felt and that one must notice the engorgement of the fly's abdomen with blood to be sure of the bite. Moutier 2 recorded the case of a servant girl who had been bitten by several louse flies, Crataerina pallida (Lat.) but mentioned only the lesions resulting from scratching. Hippobosca equina (Linn.), the forest fly, is known to feed on man in the absence of its normal host, but no records of severe reactions are available. Hippobosca camelina (Savigny) has a relatively painless bite but does leave a slightly itching pimple at the site of the bite. Brumpt fed Lipoptena cervi (Linn.) on himself but scarcely noticed the bite. The location of the bite

The Bionomics of the Spotted Hyæna, Crocuta crocuta Erxl

SUMMARY. The Spotted Hyæna occurs in large numbers in many varied habitats in East Africa. The senses of smell, sight, and hearing all play an important part in the normal foraging of the animal. The hyæna's unhurried lope gives a speed of about eight to ten miles an hour, but a speed of about thirty miles an hour can be attained if pressed. The fæcal masses, which rapidly turn from green to white in colour on drying and consist almost entirely of mineral matter derived from bones, are deposited in regular latrine areas often of large extent. The Spotted Hyæna is primarily a scavenger, but often pulls down game on its own account. Several individuals often combine in hunting. Breeding occurs at all times of the year on the Masai Steppe. The growth of the young is slow. Spotted Hyænas lie up in thick cover or in burrows during the day. The young are always born in underground dens, either natural cavities among rocks or burrows excavated in the soil. A description is given of an extensive warren of such burrows. The Spotted Hyæna shows little sign of any organized pattern of social behaviour. There are three distinct cries; a foraging call, a chuckling noise made when settling to feed, and loud laughing and screaming cries probably associated with mating. The commonest external parasite is a Hippoboscid fly: several species of ticks also occur. Two species of Cestode infest a high proportion of the animals: nematodes and encysted larval cestodes are less frequent. Very small cysticerci are abundant in the liver. About 30 per cent, of the animals suffer from splenitis apostematosa, a diseased condition of the spleen which is filled with large pyæmic abscesses. Alveolar abscesses, broken, decayed, and heavily worn teeth occur commonly in the older animals from which one or more teeth are often missing. Abscesses appear to be frequently caused by fragments of bone becoming impacted between the teeth. Repaired fractures of the bones are recorded. The Spotted Hyæna has few natural enemies. In seeking food its movements are largely determined by the wanderings of herds of game and of nomadic bands of Masai and their cattle.

Ornithomyia avicularia (Diptera Hippoboscidae) as the Carrier of Mallophaga, with some Remarks on Phoresy in Insects

In July, 1927, Dr Kenneth Smith took a specimen of the Hippoboscid fly Ornithomyia avicularia on the window of a building at the Cambridge University farm. The fly was lethargic and easily captured, and, noticing that its abdomen was infested by some parasite, the captor kindly handed me the specimen.

The Hæmoproteus of the Indian Pigeon

IN the course of a letter, which was brought by the last Indian mail, my friend, Colonel J. R. Adie, imparts the very interesting information that Mrs. Adie, working at Kasauli, has recently obtained very strong presumptive evidence that the praeter-vertebrate lifehistory of the Hmoproteus of the Indian pigeon agrees with that discovered by Ross for the Proteosoma of the Indian sparrow and for the malaria parasite, the intermediary in the case of the Haemoproteus being a species of Hippoboscid fly of the genus Lynchia.