| Protocalliphora | |
|---|---|
| Protocalliphora azurea | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Calliphoridae |
| Subfamily: | Calliphorinae |
| Genus: | Protocalliphora Hough, 1899 |
Protocalliphora or bird blowflies are a blow fly genus containing many species which are obligate parasites of birds.[1] The larvae suck the blood of nestlings and are found in the nests of birds. The genus is affected by Wolbachia bacteria and it has been suggested that horizontal gene transfer may have led to the difficulty in separating species of Protocalliphora through DNA fingerprinting, with several species possessing identical mtDNA Cytochrome oxidase I sequences.[2]
They sometimes feed inside the nostrils of nestling birds and destroy the tissue at the base leading to reduced growth of the upper mandible and the young growing with "shovel-beaks".[3]