Defense Date

8-5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science

Degree Name

Marine Science

First Advisor

David Kerstetter

Second Advisor

Christopher Blanar

Third Advisor

Kate Sheehan

Keywords

Parasites, Rallidae, Threskiornithidae, Aramidae, Ciconiidae, Ardeidae, exotic species, new host records, wading birds, Florida

Abstract

Although waterbirds are widespread across Florida, their parasite fauna remains poorly documented, with available records being over three decades old and / or based on small samples. In the intervening years, Florida has experienced substantial anthropogenic transformations, and a re-examination of the parasite communities in these hosts is timely and necessary. I inventoried the endoparasite communities of 24 native species from Families Rallidae, Aramidae, Ciconiidae, Threskiornithidae, and Ardeidae. Frozen carcasses were donated by six wildlife centers across south Florida. 355 birds were necropsied, with 70 parasite taxa identified. The carnivorous ardeids exhibited the highest parasite richness, dominated by Ascocotyle and Contracaecum. In contrast, herbivorous rails hosted the least diverse, notably Notocotylus and Capillaria. Among Ciconiidae, dominant taxa included Tylodelphys and Ascocotyle, while Threskiornithidae hosted Patagifer and Cyclustera. Parasite communities follow phylogenetic and diet differences between hosts. For example, a major split in communities occurs at a dissimilarity of 84.54%, separating Rallidae from other families. I also received samples of the non-native Grey-Headed Swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus), allowing a comparison of its parasite community with confamiliars; P. poliocephalus exhibited a depauperate community, with two individual Hystrichis and zero native rallid parasites. This pattern, combined with the invasive species’ population expansion, suggests that it benefits from enemy release. Lastly, my results underscore the value of temporal comparisons of parasite communities to track ecological impacts; for example, the extirpation of Stomylotrema from White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) may be linked to invasive apple snails (Pomacea sp.) causing the displacement of native apple snails.

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Available for download on Monday, September 06, 2027

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