The Ecology of the Hen Flea Ceratophyllus gallinae and the Moorhen Flea Dasypsyllus gallinulae in Nestboxes

Harper, G. H.; Marchant, Axelle; Boddington, Dean

doi:10.2307/5324

Cited by 58 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Furthermore, Tullgren funnels may not be the most effective way of sampling adult flea abundance (Harper et al 1992;Moreno et al 2009), which may explain the comparatively low numbers of adult fleas found in this study compared to others that used freezing and manual deconstruction of nests to find them (Reynolds et al 2016). Nevertheless, the counting of flea larvae does provide a measure of nest flea abundance in the absence of adults, and this approach did allow us to collect the other nest arthropods present, which for species such as mites would have been very challenging to sample using other approaches (Moreno et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adult Siphonaptera (fleas) or their larvae were found in all but one nest. All adults were identified as members of the Ceratophyllus and were most likely Hen Fleas Ceratophyllus gallinae (Harper et al 1992), with the exception of one individual Dasypsyllus gallinulae. As they are functionally alike and flea larvae could not readily be separated to species, and a number of nests contained high numbers of larvae but no adults, all fleas were combined together into a single category to form an overall measure of flea abundance in nests.…”

Section: Nest Arthropod Diversity and Ectoparasite Loadmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of anthropogenic material affects bird nest arthropod community structure: influence of urbanisation, and consequences for ectoparasites and fledging success

et al. 2017

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Nests are a critically important factor in determining the breeding success of many species of birds. Nevertheless, we have surprisingly little understanding of how the local environment helps determine the materials used in nest construction, how this differs among related species using similar nest sites, or if materials used directly or indirectly influence the numbers of offspring successfully reared. We also have little understanding of any potential links between nest construction and the assemblage of invertebrates which inhabit nests, in particular, ectoparasites. We addressed these questions by monitoring the success rates of Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus and Great Tits Parus major, using nest boxes in rural, urban greenspace and urban garden settings. We collected used nests, identified the arthropods present, and measured the proportions of highly processed anthropogenic materials used in nest construction. Twenty-five percent of Great Tit nest materials were of anthropogenic origin and this was consistent across habitats, while Blue Tits used little (1-2%) anthropogenic material except in gardens (*16%), suggesting that Great Tits preferentially sought out these materials. In fledged nests, an increasing use of anthropogenic material was associated with a lower general arthropod diversity and ectoparasite predator abundance (Blue Tits only), but higher levels of Siphonaptera (fleas).Higher arthropod diversity was associated with lower flea numbers, suggesting that increased diversity played a role in limiting flea numbers. No direct link was found between breeding success and either anthropogenic material usage or arthropod diversity and abundance. However, breeding success declined with increasing urbanisation in both species and increased with nest weight in Blue Tits. The interplay between urbanisation and bird ecology is complex; our work shows that subtle anthropogenic influences may have indirect and unexpected consequences for urban birds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nest Arthropod Diversity and Ectoparasite Loadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of anthropogenic material affects bird nest arthropod community structure: influence of urbanisation, and consequences for ectoparasites and fledging success

et al. 2017

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“…In 1989, in the new nest-boxes and without any manipulation of fleas, more than 80% of all nests were naturally infested with the flea. The hen flea normally produces two generations per nest (Harper et al, 1992). In a natural situation the second generation starts to emerge just a few days before fledging (Oppliger et al, personal observations).…”

Section: Ectoparasitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The hen flea is a highly common ectoparasite of great tils and of other hole-nesting birds (Harper et al, 1992). Hundreds of fleas survive in the nest inside their cocoon to the next breeding season and emerge early in spring (Bates, 1962;Humphries, 1968).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of an ectoparasite on lay date, nest-site choice, desertion, and hatching success in the great tit (Pants major)

1994

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Ectoparasites are common in most bird species, but experimental evidence of their effects on life-history traits is scarce. We investigated experimentally the effects of the hematophagous hen flea (Ceratophyllus gallinae) on timing of reproduction, nest-site choice, nest desertion, clutch size, and hatching success in the great tit (Parus major). When great tits were offered a choice on their territory between an infested and a parasite-free nest-box, they chose the one without parasites. When there was no choice, the great tits in a territory containing an infested nest-box delayed laying the clutch by 11 days as compared with the birds that were offered a parasite-free nesting opportunity. The finding that there was no difference in phenotypic traits related to dominance between the birds nesting in infested boxes and birds nesting in parasite-free boxes suggests that the delay is not imposed by social dominance. Nest desertion between laying and shortly after hatching was significantly higher in infested nests. There was no difference between infested and parasite-free nests in clutch size, but hatching success and hence brood size at hatching were significantly smaller in infested nests. Nest-box studies of great tits have been seminal in the development of evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral theory, but recently a polemic has arisen in the literature about the validity of the conclusions drawn from nest-box studies where the naturally occurring, detrimental ectoparasites are eliminated by the routine removal of old nests between breeding seasons. Our study suggests that this criticism is valid and that the evaluation of the effects of ectoparasites may improve our understanding of behavioral traits, life-history traits, or population dynamics.

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“…Therefore, the number of flea larvae in nests indicates the fecundity of adult fleas (Eeva et al 1994). Fleas may be present in nest materials already during incubation (Harper et al 1992). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural responses to ectoparasites in pied flycatchersFicedula hypoleuca: an experimental study

Cantarero¹,

López‐Arrabé²,

Redondo³

et al. 2013

Journal of Avian Biology

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Nests of cavity‐nesting birds usually harbor some species of haematophagous ectoparasites that feed on the incubating adults and nestlings. Given the negative impact of ectoparasites on nestlings there will be selection on hosts to reduce parasite infestations through behavioural means. We have experimentally reduced the abundance of all ectoparasites in nests of pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca to explore both whether there are changes in the frequency and duration of putative anti‐parasite behaviours by tending adults, as well as whether such anti‐parasite behaviours are able to compensate for the deleterious effects that parasites may have on nestlings. Heat treatment of nests substantially decreased the density of ectoparasites, and thereby positively affected nestling growth. The frequency and intensity of female grooming and nest sanitation behaviours during the incubation and nestling periods decreased as a consequence of the experimental reduction of ectoparasite infestation. Although nestlings begged more intensely in infested nests, the experiment had no significant effect on parental provisioning effort. Reduction of parasites resulted in larger nestlings shortly before fledging and increased fledging success. This study shows a clear effect of a complete natural nest ectoparasite fauna on parental behaviour at the nest and nestling growth in a cavity‐nesting bird. Although ectoparasites induce anti‐parasite behaviours in females, these behaviours are not able to fully remove parasite's deleterious effects on nestling growth and survival.

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The Ecology of the Hen Flea Ceratophyllus gallinae and the Moorhen Flea Dasypsyllus gallinulae in Nestboxes

Cited by 58 publications

References 12 publications

Use of anthropogenic material affects bird nest arthropod community structure: influence of urbanisation, and consequences for ectoparasites and fledging success

Use of anthropogenic material affects bird nest arthropod community structure: influence of urbanisation, and consequences for ectoparasites and fledging success

Effect of an ectoparasite on lay date, nest-site choice, desertion, and hatching success in the great tit (Pants major)

Behavioural responses to ectoparasites in pied flycatchersFicedula hypoleuca: an experimental study

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