Within-morning dynamics of filarial infection in breeding village weavers (Ploceus cucullatus): Sex-biased patterns and implications for host condition.

This article focuses on the within-morning dynamics of microfilariae, blood parasites transmitted by hematophagous vectors, in breeding adult village weavers (Ploceus cucullatus) in Nigeria. The study found a pronounced sex-biased infection pattern, with males exhibiting significantly higher prevalence (94.4%) and intensity of infection than females (30.8%), and both metrics peaking during mid-morning rather than early morning. Infected males consistently showed higher body mass than uninfected males, suggesting a trade-off favoring reproductive investment over immune defense, while infected females experienced a mid-morning reduction in body mass, likely due to the energetic costs of infection. These findings highlight temporal variation in parasite prevalence and host condition, emphasizing mid-morning as an optimal period for sampling and suggesting behavioral and physiological differences influence sex-specific susceptibility to microfilariae in village weavers.