Ecology of Dipteran larvae infestations of sea turtle (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, Natator depressus) nests in Central Queensland, Australia [electronic resource]

The ecological characteristics of dipteran larvae collected from green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and flatback (Natator depressus) sea turtle nests at Heron Is., Mon Repos, and Peak Is., Central Queensland, were examined during the 2002/03, 2003/04, and 2004/05 nesting seasons.Investigation of the relationship between nest productivity measures and larval infestation rates was undertaken at both the rookery and individual nest level. The approximate timeframes for nest infestation were investigated for the three dominant nest invaders. Experiments examining the predisposition of nests to infestation suggested that the most important factor was the number of dead embryos and hatchlings in a nest, in support of the major finding that dipteran larvae were scavengers.