000168763 001__ 168763
000168763 005__ 20260217214839.0
000168763 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1186/s13071-021-04798-z
000168763 0248_ $$2sideral$$a148086
000168763 037__ $$aART-2021-148086
000168763 041__ $$aeng
000168763 100__ $$aChakarov, Nayden
000168763 245__ $$aAtypical behavior of a black fly species connects cavity-nesting birds with generalist blood parasites in an arid area of Spain
000168763 260__ $$c2021
000168763 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted
000168763 5203_ $$aBackground
The feeding behavior of bloodsucking insects determines the transmission, distribution, host spectrum and evolution of blood parasites in the wild. Conventional wisdom suggests that some vector groups (e.g. black flies, family Simuliidae) are consistently exophagous daytime biters. We aimed to understand more about the exceptions to this pattern by combining targeted trapping and molecular identification of parasites in vectors.
Methods
In this study, we collected black flies in nest boxes used by European rollers Coracias garrulus in southeastern Spain. We molecularly analyzed 434 individual insects, identifying the black fly species caught in the nest boxes, their potential vertebrate blood meals, and the haemosporidian parasite lineages that they carried.
Results
Only one black fly species, Simulium rubzovianum, appeared to enter the nest boxes of rollers. Among the trapped specimens, 15% contained vertebrate DNA, which always belonged to rollers, even though only half of those specimens were visibly engorged. Furthermore, 15% of all black flies contained Leucocytozoon lineages, indicating previous feeding on avian hosts but probably not on infected adult rollers. The known vertebrate hosts of the recorded Leucocytozoon lineages suggested that large and/or abundant birds are their hosts. Particularly represented were cavity-nesting species breeding in the vicinity, such as pigeons, corvids and owls. Open-nesting species such as thrushes and birds of prey were also represented.
Conclusions
Our data strongly suggest that S. rubzovianum bites uninfected roller nestlings and infected individuals of other species, potentially incubating adults, inside nest boxes and natural cavities. This simuliid does not appear to have a strong preference for specific host clades. Contrary to the general pattern for the group, and possibly enhanced by the harsh environmental conditions in the study area, this black fly appeared to intensively use and may even have a preference for confined spaces such as cavities for feeding and resting. Preferences of vectors for atypical microhabitat niches where hosts are less mobile may enable social and within-family transmission and parasite speciation in the long term. At the same time, a lack of host preference in concentrated multispecies communities can lead to host switches. Both processes may be underappreciated driving forces in the evolution of avian blood parasites.
000168763 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es
000168763 590__ $$a4.052$$b2021
000168763 591__ $$aTROPICAL MEDICINE$$b3 / 24 = 0.125$$c2021$$dQ1$$eT1
000168763 591__ $$aPARASITOLOGY$$b8 / 39 = 0.205$$c2021$$dQ1$$eT1
000168763 592__ $$a1.089$$b2021
000168763 593__ $$aParasitology$$c2021$$dQ1
000168763 593__ $$aInfectious Diseases$$c2021$$dQ1
000168763 594__ $$a6.4$$b2021
000168763 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
000168763 700__ $$aVeiga, Jesús
000168763 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-8198-8118$$aRuiz-Arrondo, Ignacio$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza
000168763 700__ $$aValera, Francisco
000168763 7102_ $$11009$$2773$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Patología Animal$$cÁrea Sanidad Animal
000168763 773__ $$g14, 298 (2021), 9$$pParasit. vectors$$tParasites & vectors$$x1756-3305
000168763 8564_ $$s879385$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/168763/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada
000168763 8564_ $$s2543206$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/168763/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada
000168763 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:168763$$particulos$$pdriver
000168763 951__ $$a2026-02-17-20:15:10
000168763 980__ $$aARTICLE