An aspect in the life history of Ornithomya avicularia aobatonis Matsumura (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) observed at Minami Park, Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan

Abstract

Minami Park located in urban Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan, is a roosting area for crows. In the park, large numbers of crows gather, resulting in a large population of insects including Diptera in their droppings or carcasses. In addition, many louse flies, Ornithomya avicularia aobatonis, freely fly in the park forest. The louse flies are often attracted to humans, but they do not try to suck blood. Over four years 384 louse flies were collected from the park forest. Only three of the 384 specimens were apparently of older age, and the other 381 flies were young. Collections indicate three peaks of emergence in louse flies per year. The louse fly populations in Minami Park appear to explode in numbers, parasitizing the host birds, and then disperse to the surrounding environment.