DO BLOOD PARASITES AFFECT PATERNITY, PROVISIONING AND MATE-GUARDING IN PURPLE MARTINS

We examined hypothetical relationships between blood parasite infectio n in Purple Martins Progne subis and extra-pair paternity of males, fe eding performance of parents of both sexes, and mate-guarding intensit y of males. We found no evidence that infection with either of two par asites, Haemoproteus prognei and an unspecified microfilariad, affecte d extra-pair paternity. Infected males were no more likely than uninfe cted males to be cuckolded, and infection did not preclude extrapair f ertilization success. Infection also was unrelated to provisioning rat es by adult males and females and to mate-guarding intensity by males. However, subadult females provisioned significantly less when infecte d with Haemoproteus, suggesting that young females have a lower resist ance to parasites than adult females, or males.