Photo: Courtesy Charles Darwin Foundation

Professor George Heimpel, a former fellow of the IIAS and part of the "Mathematical Modelling of Biological Control Interaction to Support Agriculture and Conservation" research group, has spearheaded an important project aiming to safeguard Darwin’s finches from a dire threat: the invasive avian vampire fly, Philornis downsi.

Collaborating with researchers from the University of Minnesota and funded by the Morris Animal Foundation, Heimpel's team investigated the potential of using a highly-specialized parasitic wasp, C. annulifera, as a biological control method against the invasive fly. The vampire fly has been wreaking havoc on finch populations in the Galapagos Islands by laying eggs in their nests, posing a significant threat to the survival of these iconic birds.

The three-year study yielded promising results, suggesting that a careful release of the parasitic wasp could effectively target the vampire fly without causing harm to other native endemic species. However, the research also unveiled the alarming displacement of native fly species by the introduced flies, emphasizing the urgency of protecting these indigenous populations.

Heimpel emphasized the delicate balance required in introducing a new species for biological control purposes, stressing the need to safeguard native species while combatting invasive threats.
For further details, refer to the full article: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1036641