How deadly sarcophagid fly larvae are for anurans? New interactions and review to Neotropical region

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 119; no. 4; pp. 1415 - 1422
• Main Authors: D’Bastiani, Elvira, Teixeira, Cauê P., De La Torre, Gabriel M., Dudczak, Amanda C., dos Santos, Lorena E., Silva, André Luiz F., Oda, Fabrício H., Mello-Patiu, Cátia A., Campião, Karla M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-04-2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amphibians; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Breeding seasons; Calliphoridae; Chloropidae; Frogs; Immunology; Immunology and Host-Parasite Interactions - Short Communication; Infestation; Larvae; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Muscidae; Myiasis; New records; Sarcophagidae; Brazil; Host-parasitoid; Flesh flies; Anurans; Myiasis; Sarcophagidae
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06613-7

Myiasis is defined as the infestation of living or necrotic tissues of vertebrates by dipteran larvae. In amphibians, it can be caused by fly larvae belonging to families Calliphoridae, Chloropidae, Muscidae, and Sarcophagidae. In this study, we report new records and infestation intensity of myiasis in anurans from two localities of the Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, and also present a list with myiasis caused by flesh fly Sarcophagidae species in anurans of the Neotropical region. For this, we surveyed anuran communities during two breeding seasons, examined for myiasis signs, and when positive collected the specimens. We found infested individuals of 13 anurans of seven species. Different Sarcophagidae larva morphotypes were collected, and two of them emerged as adult flies of
Lepidodexia
(
Notochaeta
)
fumipennis
and
Peckia
(
Sarcodexia
)
lambens
, which were both found in the tree frog
Bokermannohyla circumdata
. We compiled 21 cases of myiasis in anurans in the Neotropical region from the literature reviewed. This data indicated that hosts of different lineages and modes of life can be affected and that death is often fast. The diversity of myiasis-causing flies in anurans in nature is probably a lot greater than expected, especially if we consider that the encounters are occasional, but at relatively high intensities, can cause rapid deaths.