Philornis is a genus of around 50 species of fly (Diptera, Muscidae) from Central and South America. Their larvae are subcutaneous parasites of nestling birds.[3] They are sometimes referred to as "bot flies" (e.g. [4]), though they are not related to true bot flies (family Oestridae).
Two species are also found in the southern United States. One species, P. downsi, has been accidentally introduced to the Galapagos Archipelago, posing a major threat to some of its endemic birds.[6][7]
They parasitize a wide range of bird species including psittacines. A study in the Peruvian Amazon compared parasite prevalence among different nests of scarlet macaws at the Tambopata research site, to see whether any of the nest types resulted in higher infestation.[4] Parasite prevalence was significantly lower in natural nest hollows than in artificial nest boxes. The most extreme intensity was 63 larvae per chick,[4] which is higher than those found for other Neotropical parrots.[8] The study also described a new and efficient technique to remove larvae using a reverse syringe design snake bite extractor.[4]
Philornis is a genus of around 50 species of fly (Diptera, Muscidae) from Central and South America. Their larvae are subcutaneous parasites of nestling birds. They are sometimes referred to as "bot flies" (e.g. ), though they are not related to true bot flies (family Oestridae).
Nest of Neothraupis fasciata with parasitized nestlings by P. torquans Two species are also found in the southern United States. One species, P. downsi, has been accidentally introduced to the Galapagos Archipelago, posing a major threat to some of its endemic birds.
They parasitize a wide range of bird species including psittacines. A study in the Peruvian Amazon compared parasite prevalence among different nests of scarlet macaws at the Tambopata research site, to see whether any of the nest types resulted in higher infestation. Parasite prevalence was significantly lower in natural nest hollows than in artificial nest boxes. The most extreme intensity was 63 larvae per chick, which is higher than those found for other Neotropical parrots. The study also described a new and efficient technique to remove larvae using a reverse syringe design snake bite extractor.
