New avian hosts for Taphropiestes plaumanni (Coleoptera: Cavognathidae) and the record of nestlings skin lesions and body deterioration associated with parasitism

GONZALEZ, EXEQUIEL; JAUREGUI, ADRIÁN; MARIANI, ROXANA; SEGURA, LUCIANO N.

ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS.

ACAD BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS

Lugar: Rio de Janeiro; Año: 2021

0001-3765

We collected data during three consecutive breeding seasons (2015-2018) to assess theeffects of Taphropiestes plaumanni (Coleoptera: Cavognathidae) on its bird hosts in anative forest of central eastern Argentina. We monitored bird nests for T. plaumanni in207 nests of Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola, Polioptilidae), 302 nests ofVermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus, Tyrannidae), 55 nests of Blue-and-yellowTanager (Pipraeidea bonariensis, Thraupidae), 99 nests of Small-billed Elaenia(Elaenia parvirostris, Tyrannidae), 23 nests of Yellow-browed Tyrant (Satrapaicterophrys, Tyrannidae), and other passerine species nesting in the same forest patches.We found 13 nests in which nestlings showed evidences of parasitism of which fourspecies are new hosts for this parasite (Vermilion Flycatcher, Masked Gnatcatcher, Redcrested Cardinal Paroaria coronata, Thraupidae, and Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannussavana). Skin lesions caused by T. plaumanni larvae consisted in lacerations and crustson the belly and chest areas. In one parasitized nest of Vermilion Flycatcher and oneparasitized nest of Masked Gnatcatcher we observed the death of nestlings after beingparasitized. This study adds new species to the list of hosts for this parasite, reportsnestling skin lesions in nests with T. plaumanni parasitism, and reports for the first timethe death of parasitized nestlings.