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Hidden diversity of Nycteribiidae (Diptera) bat flies from the Malagasy region and insights on host-parasite interactions.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:We present information on Nycteribiidae flies parasitizing the bat families Pteropodidae, Miniopteridae and Vespertilionidae from the Malagasy Region, contributing insight into their diversity and host preference. RESULTS:Our phylogenetic analysis identified nine clusters of nycteribiid bat flies on Madagascar and the neighbouring Comoros Archipelago. Bat flies sampled from frugivorous bats of the family Pteropodidae are monoxenous: Eucampsipoda madagascariensis, E. theodori and Cyclopodia dubia appear wholly restricted to Rousettus madagascariensis, R. obliviosus and Eidolon dupreanum, respectively. Two different host preference patterns occurred in nycteribiids infecting insectivorous bats. Flies parasitizing bats of the genera Miniopterus (Miniopteridae) and Myotis (Vespertilionidae), namely Penicillidia leptothrinax, Penicillidia sp. and Nycteribia stylidiopsis, are polyxenous and showed little host preference, while those parasitizing the genera Pipistrellus and Scotophilus (both Vespertilionidae) and referable to Basilia spp., are monoxenous. Lastly, the inferred Bayesian phylogeny revealed that the genus Basilia, as currently configured, is paraphyletic. CONCLUSION:This study provides new information on the differentiation of nycteribiid taxa, including undescribed species. Host preference is either strict as exemplified by flies parasitizing fruit bats, or more relaxed as found on some insectivorous bat species, possibly because of roost site sharing. Detailed taxonomic work is needed to address three undescribed nycteribiid taxa found on Pipistrellus and Scotophilus, tentatively allocated to the genus Basilia, but possibly warranting different generic allocation.

SUBMITTER: Ramasindrazana B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5747079 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Hidden diversity of Nycteribiidae (Diptera) bat flies from the Malagasy region and insights on host-parasite interactions.

Ramasindrazana Beza B Goodman Steven M SM Gomard Yann Y Dick Carl W CW Tortosa Pablo P

Parasites & vectors 20171229 1

<h4>Background</h4>We present information on Nycteribiidae flies parasitizing the bat families Pteropodidae, Miniopteridae and Vespertilionidae from the Malagasy Region, contributing insight into their diversity and host preference.<h4>Results</h4>Our phylogenetic analysis identified nine clusters of nycteribiid bat flies on Madagascar and the neighbouring Comoros Archipelago. Bat flies sampled from frugivorous bats of the family Pteropodidae are monoxenous: Eucampsipoda madagascariensis, E. the ...[more]

PMID: 29284533

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Project description:BackgroundBat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) are obligate, blood-sucking ectoparasites of bats with specialized morphology, life-cycle and ecology. Bat flies are occasionally infected by different species of Laboulbeniales (Fungi: Ascomycota), microscopic fungal ectoparasites belonging to three genera: Arthrorynchus spp. are restricted to the Eastern Hemisphere, while species of Gloeandromyces and Nycteromyces occur on Neotropical bat flies. Little is known about the distribution and host specificity of Arthrorynchus spp. on bat flies. In this study, we focused on sampling bat flies from the cave-dwelling bat species Miniopterus schreibersii. Bat and ectoparasite collection took place in Albania, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland. Flies were inspected for Laboulbeniales infections.ResultsSix hundred sixty seven bat flies of five species were collected: Nycteribia latreillii, N. pedicularia, N. schmidlii, Penicillidia conspicua, and P. dufourii. Laboulbeniales infection was observed on 60 specimens (prevalence = 9%). Two Laboulbeniales species, Arthrorhynchus eucampsipodae and A. nycteribiae, were present on three bat fly species. All observations of A. eucampsipodae were on N. schmidlii, and A. nycteribiae was present on P. conspicua and P dufourii. Arthrorhynchus eucampsipodae is, for the first time, reported from Slovakia and Spain. Arthrorhynchus nycteribiae represents a new country record for Portugal and Slovakia. There were no significant differences among infection rates in different countries. Females of N. schmidlii showed a higher infection rate than males with an observable trend (P = 0.0502). No sex differences in infection rate for P. conspicua and P. dufourii were detected. Finally, thallus density was significantly lower in N. schmidlii compared to P. conspicua and P. dufourii.ConclusionsWith this study, we contribute to the knowledge of the geographical distribution and host specificity of Laboulbeniales fungi associated with ectoparasitic bat flies within Europe. We discuss parasite prevalence and host specificity in the light of our findings and the available literature. Penicillidia conspicua is unambiguously the main host species for A. nycteribiae based on our and previous findings. Differences in parasite intensity and sex-biased infections of the fungi are possible depending on the species.

Project description:Bat flies are a diverse clade of obligate ectoparasites on bats. Like most blood-feeding insects, they harbor endosymbiotic prokaryotes, but the origins and nature of these symbioses are still poorly understood. To expand the knowledge of bacterial associates in bat flies, the diversity and evolution of the dominant endosymbionts in six of eight nominal subfamilies of bat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) were studied. Furthermore, the localization of endosymbionts and their transmission across developmental stages within the family Streblidae were explored. The results show diverse microbial associates in bat flies, with at least four ancestral invasions of distantly related microbial lineages throughout bat fly evolution. Phylogenetic relationships support the presence of at least two novel symbiont lineages (here clades B and D), and extend the geographic and taxonomic range of a previously documented lineage ("Candidatus Aschnera chinzeii"; here clade A). Although these lineages show reciprocally monophyletic clusters with several bat fly host clades, their phylogenetic relationships generally do not reflect current bat fly taxonomy or phylogeny. However, within some endosymbiont clades, congruent patterns of symbiont-host divergence are apparent. Other sequences identified in this study fall into the widely distributed, highly invasive, insect-associated Arsenophonus lineage and may be the result of symbiont replacements and/or transient infections (here clade C). Vertical transmission of endosymbionts of clades B and D is supported by fluorescent signal (fluorescent in situ hybridization [FISH]) and microbial DNA detection across developmental stages. The fluorescent bacterial signal is consistently localized within structures resembling bacteriomes, although their anatomical position differs by host fly clade. In summary, the results suggest an obligate host-endosymbiont relationship for three of the four known symbiont clades associated with bat flies (clades A, B, and D).

Project description:BACKGROUNDBat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) are among the most specialized families of the order Diptera. Members of these two related families have an obligate ectoparasitic lifestyle on bats, and they are known disease vectors for their hosts. However, bat flies have their own ectoparasites: fungi of the order Laboulbeniales. In Europe, members of the Nycteribiidae are parasitized by four species belonging to the genus Arthrorhynchus. We carried out a systematic survey of the distribution and fungus-bat fly associations of the genus in central Europe (Hungary, Romania).RESULTSWe encountered the bat fly Nycteribia pedicularia and the fungus Arthrorhynchus eucampsipodae as new country records for Hungary. The following bat-bat fly associations are for the first time reported: Nycteribia kolenatii on Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis blythii, Myotis capaccinii and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum; Penicillidia conspicua on Myotis daubentonii; and Phthiridium biarticulatum on Myotis capaccinii. Laboulbeniales infections were found on 45 of 1,494 screened bat flies (3.0%). We report two fungal species: Arthrorhynchus eucampsipodae on Nycteribia schmidlii, and A. nycteribiae on N. schmidlii, Penicillidia conspicua, and P. dufourii. Penicillidia conspicua was infected with Laboulbeniales most frequently (25%, n?=?152), followed by N. schmidlii (3.1%, n?=?159) and P. dufourii (2.0%, n?=?102). Laboulbeniales seem to prefer female bat fly hosts to males. We think this might be due to a combination of factors: female bat flies have a longer life span, while during pregnancy female bat flies are significantly larger than males and accumulate an excess of fat reserves. Finally, ribosomal DNA sequences for A. nycteribiae are presented.CONCLUSIONSWe screened ectoparasitic bat flies from Hungary and Romania for the presence of ectoparasitic Laboulbeniales fungi. Arthrorhynchus eucampsipodae and A. nycteribiae were found on three species of bat flies. This study extends geographical and host ranges of both bat flies and Laboulbeniales fungi. The sequence data generated in this work contribute to molecular phylogenetic studies of the order Laboulbeniales. Our survey shows a complex network of bats, bat flies and Laboulbeniales fungi, of which the hyperparasitic fungi are rare and species-poor. Their host insects, on the other hand, are relatively abundant and diverse.

Project description:BackgroundPrompt and precise identification of black flies (Simuliidae) is crucial, given their biting behaviour and significant impact on human and animal health. To address the challenges presented by morphology and chromosomes in black fly taxonomy, along with the limited availability of molecular data pertaining to the black fly fauna in Vietnam, this study employed DNA-based approaches. Specifically, we used mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded genes to distinguish nominal species of black flies in Vietnam.MethodsIn this study, 135 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences were established for 45 species in the genus Simulium in Vietnam, encompassing three subgenera (Gomphostilbia, Nevermannia, and Simulium), with 64 paratypes of 27 species and 16 topotypes of six species. Of these COI sequences, 71, representing 27 species, are reported for the first time.ResultsCombined with GenBank sequences of specimens from Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, a total of 234 DNA barcodes of 53 nominal species resulted in a 71% success rate for species identification. Species from the non-monophyletic Simulium asakoae, S. feuerborni, S. multistriatum, S. striatum, S. tuberosum, and S. variegatum species groups were associated with ambiguous or incorrect identifications. Pairwise distances, phylogenetics, and species delimitation analyses revealed a high level of cryptic diversity, with discovery of 15 cryptic taxa. The current study also revealed the limited utility of a fast-evolving nuclear gene, big zinc finger (BZF), in discriminating closely related, morphologically similar nominal species of the S. asakoae species group.ConclusionThis study represents the first comprehensive molecular genetic analysis of the black fly fauna in Vietnam to our knowledge, providing a foundation for future research. DNA barcoding exhibits varying levels of differentiating efficiency across species groups but is valuable in the discovery of cryptic diversity.

Project description:Correct identification of forensically important insects, such as flies in the family Calliphoridae, is a crucial step for them to be used as evidence in legal investigations. Traditional identification based on morphology has been effective, but has some limitations when it comes to identifying immature stages of certain species. DNA-barcoding, using COI, has demonstrated potential for rapid and accurate identification of Calliphoridae, however, this gene does not reliably distinguish among some recently diverged species, raising questions about its use for delimitation of species of forensic importance. To facilitate DNA based identification of Calliphoridae in the Caribbean we developed a vouchered reference collection from across the region, and a DNA sequence database, and further added the nuclear ITS2 as a second marker to increase accuracy of identification through barcoding. We morphologically identified freshly collected specimens, did phylogenetic analyses and employed several species delimitation methods for a total of 468 individuals representing 19 described species. Our results show that combination of COI + ITS2 genes yields more accurate identification and diagnoses, and better agreement with morphological data, than the mitochondrial barcodes alone. All of our results from independent and concatenated trees and most of the species delimitation methods yield considerably higher diversity estimates than the distance based approach and morphology. Molecular data support at least 24 distinct clades within Calliphoridae in this study, recovering substantial geographic variation for Lucilia eximia, Lucilia retroversa, Lucilia rica and Chloroprocta idioidea, probably indicating several cryptic species. In sum, our study demonstrates the importance of employing a second nuclear marker for barcoding analyses and species delimitation of calliphorids, and the power of molecular data in combination with a complete reference database to enable identification of taxonomically and geographically diverse insects of forensic importance.

Dataset Information

Hidden diversity of Nycteribiidae (Diptera) bat flies from the Malagasy region and insights on host-parasite interactions.

Publications

Hidden diversity of Nycteribiidae (Diptera) bat flies from the Malagasy region and insights on host-parasite interactions.

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