Deer keds on wild ungulates in northern Italy, with a taxonomic key for the identification of Lipoptena spp. of Europe

Abstract

Deer keds (Lipoptena spp.) are blood-sucking ectoparasites of domestic and wild animals, and also accidentally of humans. In Europe, five Lipoptena spp. have been recorded, although the lack of specific taxonomic keys has often led to mistaken identification or to missing data. The present study aimed to develop an identification key of the European species and also to identify Lipoptena spp. found on wild ungulates in northern Italy. In total, 390 hippoboscids were collected from Rupicapra rupicapra, Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus and Ovis aries musimon in an Alpine area of Italy. After morphological identification, 140 specimens were subjected to phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial (CO1) and nuclear (CAD) gene sequences. Despite the expected presence of slight morphological variations, all specimens examined were identified both microscopically and molecularly as Lipoptena cervi (100% identity for both CO1 and CAD genes). The massive increase in wild ungulate populations can favour the possibility of detecting other species of Lipoptena. The identification keys proposed in the present study may help with monitoring the presence of Lipoptena species, particularly in European countries where this ectoparasite is neglected and for which various data (from diffusion to control methods) are still missing.

Asia and Europe: So Distant So Close? The Case of Lipoptena fortisetosa in Italy

“…According to the present results, while L. cervi confirms previous findings [9], we cannot exclude a scenario depicting a recent colonization(s) of L. fortisetosa in Europe. According to the latest studies, the hypothesis of geographically distinct CO1 lineages should be rejected at the Central Europe level [26].…”

“…All specimens of L. fortisetosa and L. cervi intended for molecular analysis were morphologically identified, based on Maa's original description [19] and a recent taxonomic key [9]. Other specimens were processed for Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observations, according to the procedures previously described [28] to further examine male and female terminalia.…”

“…may be responsible for anemia and skin lesions and may be involved in the transmission of several pathogens [7,8]. In Europe, 5 species of Lipoptena have been recorded: Lipoptena capreoli Róndani, 1878, Lipoptena couturieri Séguy, 1935, Lipoptena arianae Maa, 1969, Lipoptena cervi (Linnaeus, 1758), and Lipoptena fortisetosa Maa, 1965 [9]; however, the presence and the geographical range of the first 3 species need to be confirmed.…”

“…It has a wide distribution in Europe and has currently been reported from more than 20 countries [11]. Lipoptena cervi has been recorded on Cervus elaphus, Dama dama, Alces alces, Rupicapra rupicapra, Capreolus capreolus, Moschus moschiferus [9] and it has the potential to transmit bacteria e.g., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp. [12][13][14], Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp., and protozoans, e.g., Babesia spp., Theileria spp., Hepatozoon spp.…”

Molecular detection of Trypanosoma spp. in Lipoptena cervi and Lipoptena fortisetosa (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) and their potential role in the transmission of pathogens

“…Before the taxonomical identification, hippoboscid specimens were rinsed in ultrapure water (Direct-Pure® adept Ultrapure Lab Water Systems, RephiLe Bioscience, Ltd., China) and then air-dried and prepared for optical observations. Sex determination and species identification were carried out using taxonomic keys, according to Borowiec (1984) and Salvetti et al (2020) under an OPTA-TECH microscope (Warsaw, Poland). In the current study, two dimensions were measured: the total length of the body and the largest width of the abdomen.…”