Understanding host-parasite interactions requires that the multi-faceted relationships among
ecological, behavioral and molecular processes be characterized and integrated. The …

The muscid genus Philornis comprises approximately 50 described species of flies, nearly
all of which are obligate parasites of nestling birds. Philornis species are native to the …

Species hybridization can lead to fitness costs, species collapse, and novel evolutionary
trajectories in changing environments. Hybridization is predicted to be more common when …

This chapter discusses the invasion of an avian nest fly, Philornis downsi, to the Galapagos
Islands, its interactions with novel bird hosts, and the strategies that are being implemented …

Background Introduced parasites are a particular threat to small populations of hosts living
on islands because extinction can occur before hosts have a chance to evolve effective …

Population monitoring is a vital tool for conservation management and for testing
hypotheses about population trends in changing environments. Darwin's finches on Santa …

The declining-population paradigm holds that small populations are particularly vulnerable
to anthropogenic influences such as habitat destruction, pollution and species introductions …

Invasive alien parasites and pathogens are a growing threat to biodiversity worldwide, which
can contribute to the extinction of endemic species. On the Galápagos Islands, the invasive …

Ecological immunology aims to explain variation among hosts in the strength and efficacy of
immunological defenses. However, a shortcoming has been the failure to link host immune …

The conservation behavior framework is useful to identify key linkages between behavior
and conservation practice. We apply this framework to a novel host-parasite system on the …