The Dreaded Sand Fly: Not Even Anoles Can Escape Lutzomyia!

Blook sucking Sand Flies present on Anolis bicaorum; a species endemic to Utila Island, Honduras.

Sand Flies (Lutzomyia)! For those of you fortunate enough to have worked in the Neotropics, you may well remember these relentless, miniature biting definitions of annoyance and discomfort! Well, it seems it isn’t just biologists that fall victim to torment, but unfortunately our anole friends, too!

While in the field conducting ‘Anole Patrol’ (Visual Encounter Surveys) at Kanahau Utila Research & Conservation Facility on Utila Island, Honduras, we often encounter individuals of Anolis (Norops) bicaorum tolerating ectoparasitism by Sand flies (Lutzomyia). Regretfully, we have yet to extensively research into anole ectoparasitic/host relationships, though a quick online search brings up a surprising pool of prior literature.

While my knowledge on this topic is still somewhat lacking, I figured that this little observation proves interesting and its documentation may spur a discussion of such!

A male Anolis bicaorum encountered in-situ with numerous ectoparasitic Sand Flies (Lutzomyia) on its body.

Extra species information:

Anolis (Norops) bicaorum is endemic to Utila Island, Honduras; a small (41km sq) Caribbean island part of the Isla de la Bahia/ Bay Island group. Research in 2017 (funded by the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ) , resulted in the publication of new information regarding Anolis (Norops) bicaorum distribution, natural history and ecology, as well as the first records of sympatric occurrence with its endemic congener Anolis (Norops) utilensis. The presented results also suggested that both endemic anole species are substantially threatened owing to loss of their core primary habitats.

An additional future threat includes the unfortunate establishment and spread of the admirably successful, yet deplorably invasive, Anolis sagrei , an adaptable, competitive and ironically ‘loathsome lizard’ previously associated with declines of native herpetofauna (a species that i am sure requires little introduction on Anole Annals!!).