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Infection, Genetics and Evolution :... Aug 2023Stomoxys flies (Diptera: Muscidae) are hematophagous ectoparasites of medical and veterinary importance. In this study, three Stomoxys species, i.e. S. bengalensis, S....
Stomoxys flies (Diptera: Muscidae) are hematophagous ectoparasites of medical and veterinary importance. In this study, three Stomoxys species, i.e. S. bengalensis, S. calcitrans, and S. sitiens, were collected from three provinces in Central Thailand with the aim of estimating the genetic divergence between species, for species identification, as well as within species, for a genetic diversity study based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Our results showed that the average intraspecific genetic divergences of Stomoxys flies ranged from 0.11% in S. sitiens to 0.98% in S. calcitrans, whereas the average interspecific genetic divergences ranged from 5.24% between S. sitiens and S. bengalensis to 6.69% between S. calcitrans and S. bengalensis. In addition, there was no overlap between the intraspecific and interspecific genetic divergences. The COI sequence analysis revealed a high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity, reflecting a rapid population expansion after past bottlenecks. Moreover, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the pairwise population differentiation (Fst) among Stomoxys flies in Central Thailand, because of the lack of natural barriers, thus allowing genetic exchange between them. The monitoring of the haplotype network revealed that two lineages of S. calcitrans in Central Thailand were distributed in all study areas, including the Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, and Saraburi Provinces. These findings may improve our understanding of the genetic patterns of these three Stomoxys flies, as well as the underlying biological mechanisms, which is knowledge that can be used for further effective control of these flies.
Topics: Muscidae; Animals; Genetic Variation; Thailand; Genetic Drift; Male; Female; Phylogeny; Likelihood Functions
PubMed: 37263337
DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105455 -
F1000Research 2023Houseflies are the most common type of Diptera, specifically Muscidae, worldwide, representing more than 90% of all species. This family has over 170 genera and 4200...
BACKGROUND
Houseflies are the most common type of Diptera, specifically Muscidae, worldwide, representing more than 90% of all species. This family has over 170 genera and 4200 species, but a few are of medical significance. This study aimed to estimate and assessing the measures to control and prevent grow-up inside houses and flying of the housefly ( , 1758) in Misan.
METHODS
The study occurred over 12 months, from December 2020 to December 2021. Using plastic containers, were collected from all potential breeding sites in the study region (inside and around houses). Sticky oil paper and traps were used to collect the insects. The collected insects were transferred to sealed plastic containers and then to the laboratory of the Department of Microbiology.Out of 200 randomly selected houses, 150 (75%) contained insects. Light traps and sticky oil papers were the most effective control measures, with 26.7% and 25.9% of the collected from these methods, respectively. The ratio of male (233) to female (456) was 1:2, with a significant difference between the frequencies (P<0.05). A large population of houseflies was collected during the hot season (501, 72.7%), whereas fewer were collected during the cold months (188, 27.3%), with a strongly significant difference (P<0.05). The percentage of HI was 54.4%, the CI was 21.9%, and the BI was 79.9%. The overall larval densities (LD) were at a medium level.
CONCLUSIONS
Misan has a high density of , with females being more prominent than males. Hot climate, humid sites, and dirty places are responsible for the breeding of houseflies. The overall larval density was medium. Therefore, the risk of transmitting infectious diseases by houseflies is high within the boundaries of Misan province, and effective control parameters should include measures like light traps and sticky oil.
Topics: Animals; Male; Female; Houseflies; Muscidae; Larva
PubMed: 38106654
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.132636.2 -
Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences Nov 2023The rabbit carcasses used in this study were buried at depths of 20 and 40 cm, were examined to construct a fly succession database on buried carrion in Riyadh, Saudi...
The rabbit carcasses used in this study were buried at depths of 20 and 40 cm, were examined to construct a fly succession database on buried carrion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Twenty-four rabbits were buried, 12 at 20 cm and 12 at 40 cm. One carcass at each depth was exhumed at 10-day intervals up to 120 days. The degradation rate varied among the carcasses. Differences in species and their colonization were also found in the superficial and exhumed carcasses. Eleven species of flies were recorded on carcasses interred at a depth of 20 cm and seven species at 40 cm, while 13 species were recorded on the carcasses over the top of the soil. Species sp (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Thomson, and (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) were dominant at both depths, while (Wiedeman), (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Linnaeus, and Wiedemann (Diptera: Muscidae) were dominant in surface carcasses. (Loew) ((Diptera: Phoridae) is a common and typical forensic indicator that was found in the decay/advanced decay and dry stages at a depth of 20 cm. These findings are possibly useful in forensic investigations involving buried bodies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
PubMed: 37869362
DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103822 -
Journal of Arthropod-borne Diseases Sep 2023The house fly, , is vector for pathogens and parasites and causes economic damage to livestock by reducing forage conversion efficiency, negatively impacting weight gain...
BACKGROUND
The house fly, , is vector for pathogens and parasites and causes economic damage to livestock by reducing forage conversion efficiency, negatively impacting weight gain and milk production. It has shown resistance to multiple insecticide classes. The aim of this research was to determine the susceptibility levels of seventeen field strains to thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid insecticide, in Türkiye.
METHODS
Insecticide susceptibility of the house flies to thiamethoxam was determined using the WHO glass jar method. A probit analysis program was used to determine LD values, and then the resistance ratios were compared with insecticide-susceptible strain.
RESULTS
All strains were ≥18.5-fold resistant to thiamethoxam. The data showed that 10 out of 17 strains had either high or very high resistance levels. Our findings revealed that house flies from solid waste landfills in Samsun, Ankara, and Kocaeli exhibited higher resistance ratios compared to those found in animal shelters. Conversely, in Gaziantep, Antalya, İzmir and Erzurum, the exact opposite trend was observed. Regarding the LD values among solid waste storage areas, the lowest rate was obtained from Gaziantep (0.72 gr ai/m), and the highest rate was obtained from Ankara (9.35 gr ai/m). Furthermore, regarding the LD values among animal shelters, the lowest was obtained from Samsun (0.37 gr ai/m), and the highest was obtained from Denizli (21800 gr ai/m).
CONCLUSION
The use of integrated control systems is recommended for controlling house fly populations, including insecticide class rotations for preventing, or at least, delaying the onset of resistance.
PubMed: 38860202
DOI: 10.18502/jad.v17i3.14982 -
Forensic Science International Jul 2024There is a significant gap in the availability of comprehensive identification keys for the early larval stages of forensically important fly species. While...
There is a significant gap in the availability of comprehensive identification keys for the early larval stages of forensically important fly species. While well-documented identification keys exist for the third instar larvae, particularly for the Calliphoridae, Muscidae and Sarcophagidae families, there is a notable scarcity of keys for the first, except Calliphoridae, and the second instar larvae, with no such resources available for muscid species. The second instar larvae suffer the most from the lack of morphological descriptions and available identification keys. The Muscidae is one of the most frequently reported dipteran families of forensic importance colonising animal cadavers and human corpses. Nevertheless, descriptions of the morphology of their early instars remain scarce and limited to only a few species, thus their larval identification is challenging or impossible. Considering the numerous challenges associated with studying small-sized entomological material, we tested whether it is feasible to identify muscid flies to the species or at least genus level based predominantly on the details of the cephaloskeleton. To overcome the obstacle of observing details of small sclerites, especially their shapes and interconnections, we effectively employed confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) as a supplementary method for light microscopy (LM). This study provides an identification key for first and second instar larvae of forensically important muscid species from the western Palaearctic (Europe, North Africa, Middle East). The proposed key primarily utilises details of the cephaloskeleton with only addition of external morphology.
Topics: Animals; Larva; Forensic Entomology; Muscidae; Microscopy, Confocal; Feeding Behavior; Microscopy
PubMed: 38772063
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112028 -
Parasites & Vectors Dec 2023The synanthropic house fly (Musca domestica) can potentially contribute to the mechanical spread of eggs of Taenia and Ascaris spp. in the environment and between hosts....
BACKGROUND
The synanthropic house fly (Musca domestica) can potentially contribute to the mechanical spread of eggs of Taenia and Ascaris spp. in the environment and between hosts. However, the absence of validated protocols to recover eggs hampers an in-depth analysis of the house fly's role in parasite egg transmission.
METHODS
The gastrointestinal tract and exoskeleton of euthanized house flies were spiked with Taenia saginata eggs. The performance of several recovery protocols, in terms of both the recovery rate and ease-of-use, was (microscopically) evaluated and compared. These protocols employed steps such as washing, maceration, filtration, flotation and both passive and centrifugal sedimentation. The final validated protocols were subsequently evaluated for the recovery of Ascaris suum eggs.
RESULTS
The final protocol validated for the recovery of T. saginata eggs from the house fly's gastrointestinal tract involved homogenization in phosphate-buffered saline and centrifugation at 2000 g for 2 min, yielding a recovery rate of 79.7%. This protocol required 6.5 min to perform (which included 1.5 min of hands-on time) and removed large debris particles that could hinder the differentiation of eggs from debris. Similarly, the final protocol validated for the recovery of T. saginata eggs from the fly's exoskeleton involved washing by vortexing for 2 min in Tween 80 (0.05%), 15 min of passive sedimentation and centrifugation at 2000 g for 2 min, yielding a recovery rate of 77.4%. This protocol required 20.5 min to perform (which included 3.5 min of hands-on time) and successfully removed debris. The same protocols yielded recovery rates of 74.2% and 91.5% for the recovery of A. suum eggs from the fly's gastrointestinal tract and exoskeleton, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Effective, simple and easy-to-use protocols were developed and validated for the recovery of T. saginata and A. suum eggs from the house fly's gastrointestinal tract and exoskeleton. These protocols can be applied to investigate the importance of flies as parasite egg transmitters in laboratory and field settings.
Topics: Animals; Taenia saginata; Ascaris suum; Exoskeleton Device; Ovum; Houseflies; Gastrointestinal Tract; Parasite Egg Count
PubMed: 38110985
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06077-5 -
International Journal For Parasitology.... Aug 2023The hematophagous flies of the genus Bezzi, 1907 (Diptera: Muscidae) are important ectoparasites in domestic animals and wildlife. Two species of this genus have been...
The hematophagous flies of the genus Bezzi, 1907 (Diptera: Muscidae) are important ectoparasites in domestic animals and wildlife. Two species of this genus have been recorded in Thailand, viz., (Austen, 1909) and (Pont, Duvallet & Changbunjong, 2020). They have a similar morphology and coexist in the same habitat. The correct species identification of these flies is extremely important for understanding disease epidemiology and developing effective control measures. Geometric morphometrics (GM) has been confirmed to be a useful tool for differentiating and identifying morphologically similar insect species. Therefore, GM was used to distinguish and identify and in Thailand Adult flies of both sexes were collected using Nzi traps, morphologically identified, and analyzed by landmark-based GM of the wing. Results showed that GM was highly effective in distinguishing the two species based on their wing shape, with an overall accuracy score of 99.3%. We also revealed that our study material could be used as reference data to identify new field specimens collected from other geographic locations. We propose that wing GM can be used as a supplement to conventional morphology identification, particularly for specimen that has been damaged or has lost its diagnostic characteristics due to specimen collection and processing in the field.
PubMed: 37144141
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.04.008 -
Veterinary World Oct 2023and tabanid flies are of medical and veterinary importance because they play crucial roles in disease transmission as mechanical vectors of various hemopathogens....
Preliminary study on prevalence of hemoprotozoan parasites harbored by (Diptera: Muscidae) and tabanid flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in horse farms in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Southern Thailand.
BACKGROUND AND AIM
and tabanid flies are of medical and veterinary importance because they play crucial roles in disease transmission as mechanical vectors of various hemopathogens. However, its role as a hemoprotozoan parasite vector in horse farms has not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the occurrence of hemoprotozoan parasites belonging to the genera , , and in and tabanid flies using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
All samples ( and tabanid flies) were collected using an Nzi trap for three consecutive days each month from November 2022 to March 2023. The flies were morphologically identified to the species level and separated according to sex. Individual (for tabanid flies) or pooled samples (consisting of three specimens of flies of the same species and sex collected from the same site) were used for DNA extraction. Conventional PCR was used to screen for hemoprotozoan parasite DNA, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify the species.
RESULTS
In total, 189 biting flies were collected, including four species of (, , , and ) and five species of tabanids (, , , , and ). was the most prevalent species, accounting for 58.7% (n = 111) of the collected flies. Ten (12.4%) of the 81 samples (individuals and pools) analyzed by PCR were positive for the 18S rRNA gene of the / species. DNA was not detected in any sample. After performing Basic Local Alignment Search Tool searches and a phylogenetic analysis, only six samples (7.4%), including (n = 2), (n = 2), (n = 1), and (n = 1), were found to be infected with . Furthermore, apicomplexan parasites, namely, spp. and spp., were found on , the fungus spp. was found on , and the pathogenic green alga spp. was found on .
CONCLUSION
This study is the first to report a variety of and tabanid flies collected from horse farms in Thailand, which were found to be infected with and species that affect mammals, suggesting that and tabanid flies can be used to confirm the presence of hemoprotozoan parasites in the study area. Understanding the presence of hemoprotozoa in flies could help design vector control programs and manage various diseases in the study area.
PubMed: 38023282
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.2128-2134 -
Insects Aug 2023During field tests implemented in Transcarpathia (West Ukraine) in 2015, 6501 specimens belonging to 26 Brachyceran fly families were collected with traps baited with...
Wide Range of Brachyceran Fly Taxa Attracted to Synthetic and Semi-Synthetic Generic Noctuid Lures and the Description of New Attractants for Sciomyzidae and Heleomyzidae Families.
During field tests implemented in Transcarpathia (West Ukraine) in 2015, 6501 specimens belonging to 26 Brachyceran fly families were collected with traps baited with generic lures (originally developed for noctuid moths) based on fermenting liquid and floral compounds. Isoamyl alcohol-based baits generally attracted more flies than phenylacetaldehyde-based baits and unbaited controls; however, the phenylacetaldehyde-based traps were the most attractive to the Empididae and Milichiidae families. The isoamyl alcohol-based semisynthetic lure showed significant attractivity to the families of Muscidae, Ulidiidae, Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae, Sciomyzidae, Heleomyzidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae and Platystomatidae. Additionally, isoamyl alcohol-based semisynthetic lure is the first reported attractant of the Sciomyzidae family. Since our phenylacetaldehyde-based floral lure was also attractive to Heleomyzidae flies, both types of lures can be seen as the first known attractants of this family.
PubMed: 37623415
DOI: 10.3390/insects14080705 -
Parasites & Vectors Aug 2023Stephanofilaria stilesi is a vector-borne filarioid nematode of cattle in North America that is transmitted via the hematophagous horn fly (Haematobia irritans)...
BACKGROUND
Stephanofilaria stilesi is a vector-borne filarioid nematode of cattle in North America that is transmitted via the hematophagous horn fly (Haematobia irritans) intermediate host. Despite being relatively common, little attention has been given to a thorough description of S. stilesi lesions and the potential integration of pathological and molecular diagnostic findings to confirm infection.
METHODS
To characterize the cutaneous lesions caused by S. stilesi in cattle (Bos taurus taurus and Bos taurus indicus), skin of the ventral abdominal midline was collected from 22 animals during postmortem examination. Skin samples were processed for histology, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), DNA extraction, PCR, and Sanger sequencing targeting molecular markers cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (cox1), 12S, 18S rDNA, and 28S rDNA.
RESULTS
Macroscopically, lesions ranged from 5 × 4 cm to 36 × 10 cm, consisting of one large single lesion, or two to four ovoid areas at the ventral abdominal midline, surrounding the umbilicus. Each lesion presented as ulcerative dermatitis with dry, serocellular crusts, or alopecic and lichenified areas. Histologically, eosinophilic, neutrophilic, and ulcerative dermatitis with furunculosis, folliculitis, and epidermal hyperplasia was observed. Cross sections of adult nematodes were identified in ~ 60% of the cases (n = 13) within intact follicles, sebaceous ducts, crusts, and areas of furunculosis. Stephanofilaria first-stage larvae (L1) were observed in five cases within "vitelline membranes" in the superficial dermis and crusts. Ultrastructurally, the L1 cross sections were compounded of smooth multilayered cuticle and somatic cells. The "vitelline membrane" is a tri-layered membrane where L1 are suspended in a matrix. Stephanofilaria stilesi DNA was found in 5 out of the 13 cases in which adults or L1 were histologically observed (38%) and in 1 out of the 9 cases without adults or L1 present (11%). Phylogenetic analyses suggest a closer relationship of the genus Stephanofilaria with Thelazioidea, instead of the family Filariidae (Filarioidea), in which it has been historically allocated.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study improved the characterization of lesions and described ultrastructural findings of S. stilesi and highlights that molecular tools should be utilized in combination with histology for improved diagnostic resolution.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Phylogeny; Furunculosis; Filarioidea; Dermatitis; Muscidae; DNA, Ribosomal
PubMed: 37573424
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05905-y