Biotemas (Sep 2011)
Occurrence of Philornis bella Couri in nestlings of Tyrannus melancholicus Vieillot (Tyranninae) in the municipal district of Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro
Abstract
Five nestlings of Tyrannus melancholicus Vieillot, 1819, between nine (n = 2) and twelve days (n = 3) old, were studied from July to September in 2006. A total of 43 larvae was collected, of which 33 (76%) became adults and were identified as Philornis bella Couri, 1984. The most infested areas of the nestlings were the wings (44%), head (39.5%) and coxae (16.5%). None of the nestlings died during the study. This is the first record of P. bella parasitizing nestlings of Tyrannus melancholicus.