galapagos

CNH Tours - Cultural and Natural Heritage Tours Galapagos
Thursday August 10, 2017
Wasps to rescue finches?
This article appeared in the New Yorker recently - explaining how biological control might be the best way to deal with the Philornis downsi parasitic fly (introduced accidentally to Galapagos years ago),which lays eggs in birds' nests, and whose larvae feed on chicks, most often killing them. It's not a pretty story, and it's one that the Darwin Foundation has been working on as well. It's also a good example of how apparently harmless organisms (in this case, what looks very much like a house fly) can be responsible for the extinction of iconic species. Cross your fingers!
Click here to read the New Yorker article.
Below, three Philornis downsi larvae feed on a Galapagos finch chick (thank you to the Darwin Foundation for the picture)