Carl W. Dick, Ph.D. Texas Tech University
Assistant Professor
Office: TCNW 126
Phone: 270-745-2043
Email: carl.dick@wku.edu
Website: http://bioweb.wku.edu/faculty/Dick/Default.asp
Courses
BIOL 122 Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity
BIOL 430 Evolution
BIOL 598 Graduate Seminar
Research
My academic interests center on the inter-relationships of ectoparasites and mammal hosts. In particular, I work on a specialized group of Diptera (true flies) called bat flies. Bat flies are obligate, blood-feeding parasites of bats worldwide, and are found nowhere else. These flies have evolved numerous morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to their parasitic life on the bat’s bodies. These adaptations include a reduction of eye complexity and structure, a reduction of wing structure and functionality, the development of specialized setae and ctenidea (combs) to help keep them on the host, and a specialized reproductive strategy where females nourish the larval stages internally and give single births to "prepupae." Because of their intimate relationships with bats, bat flies provide a model system for studies in evolution and ecology.
Bio
PhD in Zoology (2005), Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.
MS in Biology (1998), University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR.
BA in Biology/Environmental Science (1992), Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS.
Selected Publications
Gettinger, D., C. W. Dick, and R. D. Owen. 2011. Host associations between laelapine mites (Parasitiformes: Laelapidae) and palustrine rodents in Paraguay: A study of host specificity and cryptic species. Systematic and Applied Acarology 16: 145–159.
Dick, C. W. and J. A. Miller. 2010. Streblidae. Pp. 1249-1260 In: Manual of Central American Diptera (Vol II). Brown, B.V., A. Borkent, J.M. Cumming, D.M. Wood, N.E. Woodley, and M. Zumbado (Editors). National Research Council Press, Ottawa.
Dick, C. W., C. E. L., Esbérard, G. Graciolli, H. G. Bergallo, and D. Gettinger. 2009. Assessing host specificity of obligate ectoparasites in the absence of dispersal barriers. Parasitology Research 105: 1345-1349.
Patterson, B. D., C. W. Dick, and K. Dittmar. 2009. Nested distributions of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) on Neotropical bats: artifact and specificity in host-parasite studies. Ecography 32: 481-487.
Dittmar, K., C. W. Dick, B. D. Patterson, M. F. Whiting, and M. Gruwell. 2009. Pupal deposition and ecology of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae): Trichobius sp. (caecus group) in a Mexican cave habitat. Journal of Parasitology 95: 308-314.
Dick, C. W., and B. D. Patterson. 2008. An excess of males: skewed sex ratios in bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae). Evolutionary Ecology 22: 757-769.
Patterson, B. D. and C. W. Dick, and K. Dittmar. 2008. Parasitism by bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) on Neotropical bats: effects of host body size, distribution and abundance. Parasitology Research 103: 1091-1100.
Tello, J. S., R. D. Stevens, and C. W. Dick. 2008. Patterns of species co-occurrence and density compensation: a test for interspecific competition in bat ectoparasite infracommunities. Oikos 117: 693-702.
Dick, C. W. 2007. High host specificity of obligate ectoparasites. Ecological Entomology 32: 446-450.
Dick, C. W., and B. D. Patterson. 2007. Against all odds: explaining high host specificity in dispersal-prone parasites. International Journal for Parasitology 37: 871-876.
Patterson, B. D., C. W. Dick, and K. Dittmar. 2007. Roosting habits of bats affect their parasitism by bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae). Journal of Tropical Ecology 23: 177-189.
Dick, C. W. and R. L. Wenzel. 2006. A new genus and species of trichobiine bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea: Streblidae) from Costa Rica. Insect Systematics and Evolution 37: 433-442.
Dick, C. W. and B. D. Patterson. 2006. Bat flies: Obligate ectoparasites of bats. Pages 179-194 In: S. Morand, B. Krasnov, and R. Poulin (Editors). Micromammals and Macroparasites: from Evolutionary Ecology to Management. Springer-Verlag Publishing. 647p.
Graciolli, G., C. W. Dick, and D. Gettinger. 2006. A faunal survey of nycteribiid flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) associated with bats in Paraguay. Zootaxa 1220: 35-46.
Dick, C. W., and S. C. Dick. 2006. Effects of prior infestation on host choice of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 43: 433-436.
McIntyre, N. E., Y.-K. Chu, R. D. Owen, A. Abuzeineh, N. de la Sancha, C. W. Dick, T. Holsomback, R. A. Nisbett, and C. Jonsson. 2005. A Longitudinal Study of Bayou Virus, Hosts, and Habitat. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 73: 1043-1049.
Dick, C. W. and D. Gettinger. 2005. A faunal survey of streblid bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) associated with bats in Paraguay. Journal of Parasitology 91: 1015-1024.
Graciolli, G. and C. W. Dick. 2004. A new species of Metelasmus (Diptera: Streblidae: Streblinae) from southern South America. Zootaxa 509: 1-8.
Dick, C. W., M. R. Gannon, W. E. Little, and M. J. Patrick. 2003. Ectoparasite associations of bats from central Pennsylvania. Journal of Medical Entomology 40: 813-819.
