Personality in the parasitic avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi)

What is it about?

Like humans, individual animals have personality. However, personality is often overlooked in insects and especially in parasites. We found evidence for three personality traits in a parasitic fly, the avian vampire fly. The avian vampire fly parasitises birds and is invasive to the Galápagos islands. Larvae of the avian vampire fly feed on the blood of baby birds as they develop in the nest. Future research should consider if the personality of the parasites may affect the survival of their hosts.

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