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Host-Odor Attractants of Philornis Downsi [Diptera: Muscidae], an Invasive Bird Parasite in the Galapagos Islands

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Host-Odor Attractants of Philornis Downsi [Diptera: Muscidae], an Invasive Bird Parasite in the Galapagos Islands SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Digital Commons @ ESF Dissertations and Theses Spring 5-14-2019 HOST-ODOR ATTRACTANTS OF PHILORNIS DOWNSI [DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE], AN INVASIVE BIRD PARASITE IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS Kristin Doherty [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.esf.edu/etds Part of the Environmental Health and Protection Commons, and the Environmental Monitoring Commons Recommended Citation Doherty, Kristin, "HOST-ODOR ATTRACTANTS OF PHILORNIS DOWNSI [DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE], AN INVASIVE BIRD PARASITE IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS" (2019). Dissertations and Theses. 71. https://digitalcommons.esf.edu/etds/71 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ ESF. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ESF. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. HOST-ODOR ATTRACTANTS OF PHILORNIS DOWNSI [DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE], AN INVASIVE BIRD PARASITE IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS by Kristin M. Doherty A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, New York April 2019 Department of Environmental and Forest Biology Approved by: Stephen A. Teale, Major Professor John Wagner, Chair, Examining Committee Melissa K. Fierke, Department Chair S. Scott Shannon, Dean, The Graduate School © 2019 Copyright K.M. Doherty All rights reserved Acknowledgements I would like to thank Stephen A. Teale for cultivating my interest in entomology as an undergraduate and especially for the years of guidance that followed. I could not have asked for a more creative leader to help and inspire. Thank you to my committee members, Margaret Voss and Katalin Boroczky, both of whom took my ideas and helped to turn them into answerable research questions. Their knowledge in ornithology, metabolism and analytical chemistry enabled me to recognize the most important findings of this project. Additionally, thank you to Dong Cha who offered guidance both in the area of electrophysiological testing and as a reader. I also wish to express my gratitude to all those associated with the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands. Charlotte Causton introduced our lab to the Philornis downsi team with a workshop in 2012 and has been absolutely indispensable since. Thank you to Alejo Mieles, Arno Cimadom, Sarah Knutie, Piedad Lincango, and all those with the Charles Darwin Foundation for assisting me with trapping experiments and sample acquisition when I was unable to personally travel to Santa Cruz. Thank you to James Gibbs and George Heimpel for transporting P. downsi specimens to the United States, with permits to import the specimens granted by USDA-APHIS. This study was funded by the Galapagos Conservancy and the International Community Foundation with a grant awarded by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to Stephen Teale, Birgit Fessl and Charlotte Causton. Thank you to my lab-mates Alejo Mieles, Hajar Faal, Laura Hansen, and Tian Xu for all of your assistance and thank you to Max Collignon for recognizing my potential role in the P. downsi project. Finally, thank you to all of my friends and family who generously supported me the last several years. iii Table of Contents List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...vi List of Figures..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………...vii List of Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………..…viii Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………...…ix Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………1 PHILORNIS DOWNSI, AN AVIAN ECTOPARASITE……………………………….………………………………1 IMPACTS ON HOSTS IN THE GALAPAGOS………………………………………………...……………………….2 PHILORNIS DOWNSI MANAGEMENT...…………………………………………………....…………………………4 HOST-ODOR BASED ATTRACTION IN DIPTERA………………………………...………………………………7 AVIAN SOURCES OF OLFACTORY ATTRACTION OF PHILORNIS DOWNSI……………………………9 Methods……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………11 LIVE ANIMALS………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………11 Birds………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………11 Insects………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………12 VOLATILE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS…………………………………………………………………………12 Zebra finch nest headspace………………………………………….………………………………………12 Wild bird nest headspace……………………………………………………….……………………………14 Fecal samples…………………………………………………………………………………….……….………15 Uropygial gland secretions…………………………………………………………………………..………16 Egg headspace……………………………………………………………………………………………………17 ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT……..……………………………………17 GC-EAD/EAG………………………………………………………………………………………………………17 Laboratory bioassays…………………………………………………………………………………….……19 Field bioassays……………………………………………………………………………………………………20 iv Results…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…23 VOLATILE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS…………………………………………………………………………23 Laboratory bird nest headspace…………………………………………………………………………...23 Wild bird nest headspace………………………………………………………………………………….…23 Fecal samples……………………………………………………………………………………………………..23 Uropygial gland secretions…………………………………………………………..………………………24 Egg headspace……………………………………………………………………………………………………24 ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT…………………..………………………24 GC-EAD/EAG………………………………………………………………………………………………………24 Laboratory bioassays……………………………………………………………………………………….…26 Field bioassays……………………………………………………………………………………………………26 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………31 WHOLE-NEST VOLATILES…………………………………………………………………………………………...…31 INDIVIDUAL SOURCES OF HOST VOLATILES……………………………………………………………..……35 Feces………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………35 Uropygial glands……………………………………………………………………………………………...…36 Eggs………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…37 LABORATORY BIOASSAYS………………………………………………………………………………………...……39 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……41 References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……42 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….51 Resume……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..61 v List of Tables Table 1. Collection and analysis methods for zebra finch nest dynamic headspace collection………..13 Table 2. Collection and analysis methods for central New York wild bird nest headspace collection………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….15 Table 3. Collection and analysis methods for Galapagos wild bird nest headspace collection…..…….15 Table 4. Occurrence of bird-related volatiles in the literature………………………………………………………33 vi List of Figures Figure 1. GC-EAD response to acetone………………………………………………………………………………………..25 Figure 2. GC-EAD response to uropygial gland secretion……………………………………………………..………25 Figure 3. Mean (±SE) number of flies per trap captured for moderate release-rate acetone experiment……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…27 Figure 4. Mean (±SE) number of flies per trap captured for high/low release-rate acetone experiment……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………28 Figure 5. Mean (±SE) number of flies per trap captured for hexanal and food-source experiment………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..29 Figure 6. Mean (±SE) number of flies per trap captured for hexanal and food-compound experiment at El Barranco (A) and Los Gemelos (B) ……………………………..……………………………………30 vii List of Appendices Appendix I. Schematics of headspace collection methods……………………………………………………………..51 Appendix II. Antennal preparation for Philornis downsi GC-EAD/EAG recording……………..…………….52 Appendix III. Methodology and results of GC-EAD/EAG assays………………………………….….………………53 Appendix IV Schematics of olfactometers used for behavioral response assays…………….………………54 Appendix V. Chemical compounds identified from GC-MS analysis of zebra finch dynamic headspace collection………….……………..…………………..…………………………………………………..……………….55 Appendix VI. Chemical compounds identified from GC-MS analysis of zebra finch static headspace collection……………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………56 Appendix VII. Chemical compounds identified from GC-MS analysis of New York wild bird dynamic headspace collection……………………………………………………………..…………………………………...……...………57 Appendix VIII. Chemical compounds identified from GC-MS analysis of zebra finch uropygial gland secretions……………………………………………………………..……………..……………………………………………………58 viii Abstract K.M. Doherty. Host-odor Attractants of Philornis downsi [Diptera: Muscidae], an Invasive Bird Parasite in the Galapagos Islands, 71 pages, 4 tables, 6 figures, 2019. Since its discovery in 1997, Philornis downsi has been shown to reduce fledgling success and fitness in many bird species within the Galapagos, including the endemic and critically endangered Darwin’s finches. Despite its impact, there are currently no practical methods to control the nest parasite. This study investigated potential kairomones that adult P. downsi use to locate bird nests, with the goal of developing an efficient olfaction-based method to monitor and control the insect. Volatile organic compounds were collected from the feces, uropygial glands, and eggs of laboratory- reared zebra finches, as well as whole-nest headspace from zebra finches, central New York birds, and finches in the Galapagos. Selected compounds were then tested for electrophysiological and behavioral response using GC-EAD/EAG and laboratory/field bioassays with adult P. downsi. Acetone, collected from eggs, and uropygial gland extracts
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