Researchers with the University of Minnesota hope to release highly specialized parasitic wasps to serve as a biological control method to save Darwin’s finches from a dire threat: the invasive avian vampire fly, Philornis downsi. Credit: George Heimpel
Key points:
- The invasive avian vampire fly, Philornis downsi, is devastating Darwin’s finches on the Galapagos Islands by laying eggs in their nests, with emerging larvae harming the nestlings.
- Researchers determined that the highly specialized parasitic wasp, C. annnulifera could protect the finches without harming the ecosystem of the Galapagos.
- They found that vampire flies displaced the native and endemic flies, which highlights the urgent need to protect threatened native species—both finches and flies.
The invasive avian vampire fly, Philornis downsi, is devastating Darwin’s finches on the Galapagos Islands by laying eggs in their nests, with emerging larvae harming the nestlings. A new study, published in Insect Conservation and Diversity, attempts to use highly specialized parasitic wasps to serve as a biological control method to save the finches.
The research team investigated the parasitic wasp, C. annnulifera, and its ability to target the vampire fly without impacting any other native endemic species. Over the course of their three-year study, the team determined that a careful release of the wasp could protect the finches without harming the ecosystem of the Galapagos.
Additionally, the researchers found only two native fly species on the island, suggesting that the introduced vampire flies are displacing the native and endemic flies. This finding highlights the urgent need to protect threatened native species—both finches and flies.
The team must carefully implement their plan to employ parasitic wasps as they need to ensure that the wasp’s release does not negatively affect native fly populations that still exist.
“The findings underscore the urgency and the delicate balance of introducing a new species to control an invasive one, ensuring we protect native species,” explained the study’s principal investigator George Heimpel, professor at the University of Minnesota.