Carnus hemapterus nitzsch from Swainson's Hawk
The wingless ectoparasitic fly (Carnus hemapterus, Nitzsch) was first reported on North American birds by Bequaert (1942) although in Europe, C. hemapterus seems to be fairly generally distributed. Bequaert (1942) reports the C. hemapterus has been observed on 12 families and 26 species of birds in Europe. In July of 1980, while examining nestling Swainson's Hawks (Buteo swainsoni), the authors found that 12 of the 15 nestlings studied were parasitized by C. hemapterus. The flies occurred in groups of 3 to 5 and were found only in the axillary region of the hawks. No flies were attached and on being disturbed they moved from the bare axillary region to nearby feathered areas. The exact nature of the diet of C. hemapterus is unknown. Noller (1920) reports that the fly sucks blood from its host, while Hendel (1928) felt that Carnus feeds most probably on skin secretions. They observed dried blood spots on the hawks axillary region which is supportive of Noller's (1920) claim. The true diet of the fly is presently in question, but the fly could act as a vector of certain avian blood parasites. These findings are of interest, since few records have been repoted for C. hemapterus in non-cavity nesting birds or from long-distance migrants like the Swainson's Hawk. This report is also the first record on this dipteran parasite on the Swainson's Hawk.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle, Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA
- OSTI ID:
- 5099630
- Journal Information:
- Raptor Research; (United States), Vol. 17:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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