Crataerina pallida or the swift lousefly, is a hippoboscid fly that feeds off the blood of swifts that are found in Europe and Asia. The life cycle of the parasite is synchronized with the life cycle of the birds. In the late summer, the flies produce larvae (not just eggs), that will pupate and basically hang out like that over the winter in the birds' nests. The next spring, when the birds lay a new batch of eggs and the hatchlings are present, the flies will finish their development, feed off the baby birds and their parents, and begin the cycle all over again.
August 27, 2010
August 27 - Crataerina pallida
Crataerina pallida or the swift lousefly, is a hippoboscid fly that feeds off the blood of swifts that are found in Europe and Asia. The life cycle of the parasite is synchronized with the life cycle of the birds. In the late summer, the flies produce larvae (not just eggs), that will pupate and basically hang out like that over the winter in the birds' nests. The next spring, when the birds lay a new batch of eggs and the hatchlings are present, the flies will finish their development, feed off the baby birds and their parents, and begin the cycle all over again.
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