Experimental test of the effect of introduced hematophagous flies on corticosterone levels of breeding Darwin's finches.

Parasites can negatively affect the evolutionary fitness of their hosts by eliciting physiological stress responses. Parasite-induced stress can be monitored by measuring changes in the adrenal steroid hormone corticosterone. We examined the effect of an invasive parasite on the corticosterone concentrations of a common species of Darwin's finch, the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis). Philornis downsi (Diptera: Muscidae) is a parasitic nest fly recently introduced to the Galapagos Islands, where it feeds on the blood of nestlings and breeding adult female finches. Previous work shows that P. downsi significantly reduces the reproductive success of several species of finches. We predicted that the effect of P. downsi on host reproductive success is mediated by stress responses in breeding female finches. High stress levels could reduce the ability of females to invest in offspring, thus decreasing their reproductive success. To test this hypothesis, we experimentally manipulated the abundance of P. downsi in nests, then measured baseline and acute stress-induced corticosterone levels, body condition, and hematocrit (red blood cell content). Acute stress-induced corticosterone levels increased over baseline levels, but this response did not differ significantly with parasite treatment. There was also no significant difference in the body condition or hematocrit of females from parasitized versus non-parasitized nests. Our results suggest that the lower reproductive success of females from parasitized nests is not mediated by a physiological stress response.