170 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS INVERTEBRATE POPULATIONS IN THE NESTS OF A SCREECH OWL (OTUS ASIO) AND AN AMERICAN KESTREL (FALCO SPARVERIUS) IN CENTRAL NEW YORK 1 James R. Philips , Daniel L. DindaP ABSTRACT: Screech owl (Otus asio) nest material from a tree hole in Syracuse, N.Y., con-tained 22,991 arthropods of 61 species. Arthropod density was 131/g dry weight of nest material. An American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) nest in a nest box in Jamesville, N.Y., yielded 26,553 invertebrates of 93 species. Arthropod density was 38/g dry weight of nest material. Lists of the species found and their populations are presented, and their trophic and symbiotic relationships are discussed. Bird parasite levels were extremely low. Litter fauna was dominant in the screech owl nest, while stored products fauna was dominant in the Kestrel nest. Nests of birds harbor a wide variety of invertebrates,, including soil and litter, parasitic, predatory and coprophilic organisms. Numerous studies have demonstrated that birds' nests are reservoirs of domestic and stored products pests as well, containing populations of carpet beetles (Dermestidae), clothes moths (Tineidae), house dust mites (Pyro-glyphidae), stored products mites (Glycyphagidae), and poultry mites (Macronyssidae) (Woodroffe and Southgate, 1951; Woodroffe, 1953, 1954; Baker et #/., 1956). Nests of birds of prey (Falconiformes and Strigi-formes) serve as a habitat for necrophilic arthropods as well as other nidicoles, since they contain carrion and regurgitated pellet remnants of their prey (Philips and Dindal, 1977). The check-lists of Hicks (1959, 1962, 1971) serve as excellent guides to the literature on insects in birds nests, and they demonstrate how poorly raptor nest fauna is known. Prior to this study, only six species of inver-tebrates were known from eastern screech owl (Otus asio (L.)) nests (Baker, 1904, Bequaert, 1955, Gehlbach and Baldridge, 1987; Linsley, 1944; Robinson, 1941; Vaurie 1955) and only eight species were known from American kestrel (Falco sparverius L.) nests (Balgooyen, 1976, Bequaert, 1955; Capelle and Whitworth, 1973; Hill and Work, 1947; Roest, 1957; Williams, 1947). The objective of this study was to inves-tigate the invertebrate community of a screech owl and a kestrel nest, and to determine the levels of parasites, pest, and other species infestation in them. Deceived September 27, 1989. Accepted December 30, 1989 2 Babson College, Wellesley, MA 02157 %tate University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210 ENT. NEWS 101(3): 170-192, May & June, 1990
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