In a bluetit population situated outside Lund the prevalence of blood parasites has increased in the population from around 45% in 1996 to over 85% being infected in the 2020s. The increase seems to be linked to an increase in temperature when the birds are newly hatched and are still in the nest boxes being feed by their parents. This is a time period where biting midges are known to visit the nest boxes and potentially spreading the disease.
We are now seeking a master student to investigate the role of temperature, brood sizes and seasonality on the abundance of vectors in the nest boxes. The project includes fieldwork, some level of invertebrate species identification (either through morphology or with the use of molecular methods) as well as an opportunity to investigate the level of parasite the caught vectors are carrying using molecular methods.
Supervisors: Olof Hellgren, Fredrik Andreasson and Jan-Åke Nilsson
If you think this sounds like an exciting and interesting project, please contact:
Olof Hellgren (olof.hellgren@biol.lu.se), Fredrik Andreasson (fredrik.andreasson@biol.lu.se) or Jan-Åke Nilsson (Jan-ake.nilsson@biol.lu.se) via e-mail or come visit us on the second floor of the Ecology building.