Effect of introduced parasites on the survival and microbiota of nestling cactus finches (Geospiza scandens) in the Galápagos Islands

Addesso, Alyssa; Harvey, Johanna A.; Vaziri, Grace J.; Verrett, Taylor B.; Albert, Lauren; Arthur, Corinne Michelle; Chernicky, Kiley; Simons, Shelby R.; Chaves, Jaime A.; Knutie, Sarah A.

doi:10.1007/s10336-020-01793-6

Cited by 8 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…The major expansions of the GST family in P. downsi were observed in Delta and Epsilon subclasses (Figure 4d). Insecticides, such as permethrin, are used to experimentally manipulate P. downsi abundance in bird nests to study the effects of the parasite on the health of the birds (Fessl et al, 2010;Koop et al, 2011;Koop, Le Bohec, et al, 2013;Koop, Owen, et al, 2013;Knutie et al, 2014Knutie et al, , 2016bO'Connor et al, 2014;McNew et al, 2020;Addesso et al, 2020). Increased expression of GSTs following permethrin exposure has been documented in several insect species including oriental fruit flies (Bactrocera dorsalis) (Hu et al, 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fly has now been found on all major islands within the archipelago except Española, Genovesa, Darwin, and Wolf (Causton et al, 2013). The impact of parasitism by the fly has been severe in some populations of birds in Galápagos and while the effects are variable, some studies have reported near-total nest failure rates due to parasitism (Dudaniec et al, 2007;Koop et al, 2011;Koop, Le Bohec, et al, 2013;O'Connor et al, 2014;Knutie et al, 2016a;Heimpel et al, 2017;Addesso et al, 2020). The fly has also been implicated in the decline of the medium tree finch (Camarhyncus pauper), the warbler finch (Certhidia olivacea), and the mangrove finch (Camarhyncus heliobates) (Dvorak et al, 2004;Grant et al, 2005;Cunninghame et al, 2017;Peters and Kleindorfer, 2018;Bulgarella et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The genome sequence of the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi), an invasive nest parasite of Darwin's finches in Galapagos

Romine

et al. 2021

Preprint

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The invasive avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi) is considered one of the greatest threats to the unique and endemic avifauna of the Galpagos Islands, Ecuador. The fly parasitizes nearly every passerine species, including Darwins finches, in the Galpagos. The fly is thought to have been introduced from mainland Ecuador, although the full pathway of invasion is not yet known. The majority of research to date has focused on the effects of the fly on the fitness of avian hosts and explorations of mitigation methods. A lag in research related to the genetics of this invasion demonstrates, in part, a need to develop full-scale genomic resources with which to address further questions within this system. In this study, an adult P. downsi collected from San Cristobal Island within the Galpagos archipelago was sequenced to generate a high-quality genome assembly. We examined various features of the genome (e.g., coding regions, non-coding transposable elements) and carried out comparative genomics analysis against other dipteran genomes. We identified lists of gene families that are significantly expanding/contracting in P. downsi >that are related to insecticide resistance, detoxification, and potential feeding ecology and counter defense against host immune responses. The P. downsi genome assembly provides an important foundational resource for studying the molecular basis of its successful invasion in the Galpagos and the dynamics of its population across multiple islands. The findings of significantly changing gene families associated with insecticide resistance and immune responses highlight the need for further investigations into the role of different gene families in aiding the flys successful invasion. Furthermore, this genomic resource will also better help inform future research studies and mitigation strategies aimed at minimizing the flys impact on the birds of the Galpagos.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genome sequence of the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi), an invasive nest parasite of Darwin's finches in Galapagos

Romine

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…Most studies have focused on the immediate impacts of acute avian vampire fly infections during the nestling phase, including severe blood loss, reduced haemoglobin concentration (Dudaniec et al, 2006) and a mean in‐nest mortality of 55% (Addesso et al, 2020; Fessl et al, 2006; Kleindorfer & Dudaniec, 2016). Recent studies exploring the host and parasite microbiome found that the avian vampire fly microbiome differs across both parasite life stage (Jose et al, 2021) and the dietary niche of host species from which the parasite was sampled (Ben‐Yosef et al, 2017), but host microbiome did not differ in relation to the presence/absence of avian vampire flies in the nest (Addesso et al, 2020). Darwin's finches with enlarged naris size have altered song that is associated with lower pairing success (Kleindorfer et al, 2019) and altered patterns of gene flow, including hybridisation (Kleindorfer, O'Connor, et al, 2014; Peters et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies exploring the host and parasite microbiome found that the avian vampire fly microbiome differs across both parasite life stage (Jose et al, 2021) and the dietary niche of host species from which the parasite was sampled (Ben-Yosef et al, 2017), but host microbiome did not differ in relation to the presence/absence of avian vampire flies in the nest (Addesso et al, 2020). Darwin's finches with enlarged naris size have altered song that is associated with lower pairing success (Kleindorfer et al, 2019) and altered patterns of gene flow, including hybridisation Peters et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional traits and foraging behaviour: Avian vampire fly larvae change the beak and fitness of their Darwin's finch hosts

et al. 2022

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1. The avian beak is a key morphological trait used for foraging. If parasites alter beak shape, we may expect changes in host foraging behaviour. Larvae of the avian vampire fly Philornis downsi cause naris enlargement in Darwin's finch nestlings when first and second instar larvae consume keratin, blood and tissue from inside the beak of the developing host. This naris malformation persists into adulthood, where nares that are >15% of total beak length are considered enlarged.2. We measured effects of parasite-induced naris enlargement on foraging behaviour, foraging niche overlap and body condition in Darwin's finches on Floreana Island.Foraging behaviour was ranked by the stress per foraging technique exerted on the beak and ranged from least stress for 'gleaning' to most stress for 'chip off bark'.3. Naris enlargement occurred in 34% of adult birds. The most common foraging technique differed among species: medium tree finches (Camarhynchus pauper) often chipped off bark to extract subsurface prey, small tree finches (C. parvulus) often gleaned surface prey from foliage, hybrids gleaned prey from bark and foliage, and small ground finches (Geospiza fuliginosa) mostly foraged on the ground. In C. pauper, birds with naris enlargement did more gleaning and less subsurface prey excavation. Foraging niche across species was most similar in birds with naris enlargement.Finally, body condition was lower in insectivorous tree finches with malformed beaks. 4. A novel aspect of this study is the idea that parasite-induced alterations to phenotype affect ecological processes and interspecific interactions at large temporal and spatial scales. The parasitism occurs early in life but the ecological effects of this parasitism, if causative, are happening later.

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“…The larvae are obligate nest ectoparasites that feed on the blood and other fluids of nestling and brooding adult birds ( Fessl and Tebbich 2002 ). The impact of parasitism by the fly has been severe in some populations of birds in Galápagos and while the effects are variable, some studies have reported near-total nest failure rates due to parasitism ( Dudaniec et al 2007 ; Koop et al 2011 , 2013 ; O’Connor et al 2014 ; Knutie et al 2016 ; Heimpel et al 2017 ; Addesso et al 2020 ). The fly has also been implicated in the decline of the medium tree finch ( Camarhyncus pauper ), the warbler finch ( Certhidia olivacea ), and the mangrove finch ( Camarhyncus heliobates ) ( Dvorak et al 2004 ; Grant et al 2005 ; Cunninghame et al 2017 ; Peters and Kleindorfer 2018 ; Bulgarella et al 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genome sequence of the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi), an invasive nest parasite of Darwin’s finches in Galápagos

Romine

Knutie

Crow

et al. 2021

G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics

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The invasive avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi, Diptera: Muscidae) is considered one of the greatest threats to the endemic avifauna of the Galápagos Islands. The fly larvae parasitize nearly every passerine species, including Darwin’s finches. Most P. downsi research to date has focused on the effects of the fly on avian host fitness and mitigation methods. A lag in research related to the genetics of this invasion demonstrates, in part, the need to develop full-scale genomic resources with which to address further questions within this system. In this study, an adult female P. downsi was sequenced to generate a high-quality genome assembly. We examined various features of the genome (e.g., coding regions, non-coding transposable elements) and carried out comparative genomics analysis against other dipteran genomes. We identified lists of gene families that are significantly expanding or contracting in P. downsi that are related to insecticide resistance, detoxification, and counter defense against host immune responses. The P. downsi genome assembly provides an important resource for studying the molecular basis of successful invasion in the Galápagos and the dynamics of its population across multiple islands. The findings of significantly changing gene families associated with insecticide resistance and immune responses highlight the need for further investigations into the role of different gene families in aiding the fly’s successful invasion. Furthermore, this genomic resource provides a necessary tool to better inform future research studies and mitigation strategies aimed at minimizing the fly’s impact on Galápagos birds.

show abstract

Effect of introduced parasites on the survival and microbiota of nestling cactus finches (Geospiza scandens) in the Galápagos Islands

Cited by 8 publications

References 68 publications

The genome sequence of the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi), an invasive nest parasite of Darwin's finches in Galapagos

The genome sequence of the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi), an invasive nest parasite of Darwin's finches in Galapagos

Functional traits and foraging behaviour: Avian vampire fly larvae change the beak and fitness of their Darwin's finch hosts

The genome sequence of the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi), an invasive nest parasite of Darwin’s finches in Galápagos

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