A new species of Tunga perforating the osteoderms of its armadillo host in Argentina and redescription of the male of Tunga terasma

Abstract

A new species of Tunga (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) collected from armadillos in Argentina is described. The new species is characterized by large and pigmented eyes, the presence of two bristles on antennal segment II, two bristles at the base of the maxilla, and a discoid neosome compressed anteroposteriorly. The gravid female is located in the carapace of the host, perforating the osteoderms. The new species resembles Tunga penetrans and Tunga terasma in general appearance. However, it differs by the greater anteroposterior compression of the neosome, a more angular head, and a manubrium with a pointed proximal end and convex ventral margin (the proximal end of the manubrium is rounded or slightly pointed in T. terasma, and the ventral margin is straight in both T. penetrans and T. terasma). In addition, specimens of T. penetrans have more bristles in antennal segments II and III, and lack bristles in the posterior tibia. This is the first report of a species of Tunga perforating the osteoderms of its host and thereby showing a high degree of specialization. Tunga terasma is recorded for the first time in Argentina; the male is described again and the characteristics of the species amended. This information may be useful in epidemiological studies of diseases caused by species of Tunga.

Two Severe Cases of Tungiasis in Goat Kids in Uganda

“…One viable sand flea (Stage III) was extracted from each of the goats, fixed in 70% ethanol, and transported to the laboratory at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security, Makerere University and the Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, for morphological identification based on features described previously ( De Avelar et al. 2012 , Ezquiaga et al. 2015 ).…”

“…Although to date 14 species have been characterized in the genus Tunga , only three species, Tunga penetrans, Tunga trimamillata , and Tunga hexalobulata , are known to parasitize domestic animals ( De Avelar et al. 2012 , Linardi and Avelar 2014 , Ezquiaga et al. 2015 ).…”

Successful Treatment of Severe Tungiasis in Pigs Using a Topical Aerosol Containing Chlorfenvinphos, Dichlorphos and Gentian Violet

“…Tungiasis is a parasitosis of humans and animals caused by embedded female sand fleas belonging to the genus Tunga . So far 14 different Tunga species have been described [ 1 – 4 ] of which three have been reported in domestic animals: Tunga hexalobulata , Tunga trimamillata and Tunga penetrans [ 3 , 5 ]. Only the latter two species are known to be zoonotic.…”

Ectoparasitism and infections in the exoskeletons of large fossil cingulates

“…In the lateral figures of caudal the tube of Panochthus , the flea infection marks were circular cavities, with minor cavities inside of them or in other points of the tube, similar to those figured for late Miocene armadillos ( Chasicotatus ameghinoi and Vetelia perforata ), which were attributed to fleas of the genus Tunga (See Fig 2E in[ 8 ]). This genus includes an extant species with proven ability to produce bioerosion in osteoderms of cingulates ( Tunga perforans ; see [ 35 ]). In isolated osteoderms of Glyptotherium and P .…”

“…The neosomes are organisms, in this case, fleas, that suffer a radical change during development acquiring a new morphological structure in the metamorphosis process [ 37 ]. Initially, the pregnant female penetrates into the host through bone perforation and initiates the neosomy [ 35 ]; the chemical or physical bioerosive mechanism by which the flea perforates the bone is unknown. After laying eggs, with the development of the neosome, the flea dies [ 38 ].…”