Meeting Abstract
Plasmodium and Haemoproteous, two genera of parasitic protozoans, are ubiquitous among birds and can have important fitness consequences for their hosts, impacting host ecology. To fully understand the impacts of these parasites on the ecology of migratory birds, it is important to know whether migratory species become infected at their nesting grounds or wintering grounds. Migratory mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) that nest at Tioga Pass, CA, are known to carry both Haemoproteus and Plasmodium species parasites; however, it is unknown where they acquire these infections. To determine whether birds nesting at Tioga Pass could have become infected with avian malaria on their nesting grounds, we screened 192 Culicidae mosquitos collected in July 2006 for the presence of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium, which these mosquitoes are known to vector. Mosquitoes were captured by CO2 traps set in thirteen different microhabitats (classified by the presence or absence of water and the type of foliage present) and were visually categorized into 37 morphospecies. Cytochrome c oxidase subunits I and II were sequenced and compared to previously published data to taxonomically identify morphospecies. In addition, we examined how vector density varies by microhabitat type. Our data suggest that the mosquitoes of the Tioga Pass are not infected with these parasites and, therefore, the mountain white crowned sparrows are more likely to be infected with these parasites either at their wintering grounds or during migration.
