Bird-parasite
Guides
Culicoides crepuscularis
Culicoides crepuscularis is a species of biting midge in the family Ceratopogonidae, first described by Malloch in 1915. The species has been documented as a natural host for the filarial nematode Chandlerella quiscali, demonstrating vector competence for transmission to birds. Its specific epithet 'crepuscularis' suggests crepuscular (twilight) activity patterns, though this has not been explicitly confirmed in the available literature.
Hectopsylla
A genus of stick-tight fleas in the family Tungidae, comprising thirteen species that parasitize non-volant mammals, birds, and bats. The genus was established by Von Frauenfeld in 1860, with H. psittaci as the type species. Several species were described by Karl Jordan between 1906 and 1942. The genus exhibits specialized host attachment behaviors, with females of some species becoming permanently embedded in host skin.
Icosta
Icosta is a genus of louse flies (Hippoboscidae) comprising 52 described species, making it the largest genus in the family. All species are obligate ectoparasites of birds, feeding on blood. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution excluding Antarctica and is divided into six subgenera based on morphological characteristics. Members are pupiparous, with larvae developing internally and depositing fully formed pupae.
Ornithocoris pallidus
Ornithocoris pallidus is a species of bed bug in the family Cimicidae, first described by Usinger in 1959. It belongs to the subfamily Haematosiphoninae, which comprises cimicids associated with birds and bats. The genus Ornithocoris is distinguished from other cimicid genera by its association with avian hosts. The species epithet 'pallidus' refers to its pale coloration. Distribution records indicate presence in North America and South America, though specific details regarding its biology and ecology remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Protocalliphora
bird blowflies, bird blow flies
Protocalliphora is a genus of blow flies (Calliphoridae) comprising obligate hematophagous parasites of birds. Larvae develop in bird nests and feed on the blood of nestlings, with more than 140 bird species recorded as hosts. The genus is distributed across the Holarctic region (Nearctic and Palaearctic). Adults overwinter and exhibit complex interactions with Wolbachia endosymbionts that complicate species identification through DNA barcoding.