First record of the mermithid nematode worm Isomermis lairdi parasitizing black flies in Spain

Mermithid nematodes are considered a promising biological control agent to reduce the population density of different blood-feeding vectors, i.e. black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae), which are important pests of medical and veterinary interest worldwide. Immature larvae of black flies were collected i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inVeterinary parasitology (Amsterdam) Vol. 36; p. 100805
Main Authors Ruiz-Arrondo, Ignacio, Arcos, Susana C., González, Mikel A., Mejías-Ortiz, Miguel, Hernando, Oscar Soriano, Oteo, José Antonio, Parreira, Ricardo, Navas, Alfonso
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.11.2022
Subjects
18S rRNA gen
Animals
Biological control
COI gen, Simuliidae
Mermithoidea - genetics
Parasitism
Phylogeny
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S - genetics
Simuliidae - genetics
Simulium cryophilum s.l
Spain - epidemiology
Spain
COI gen, Simuliidae
Parasitism
Biological control
Simulium cryophilum s.l
18S rRNA gen
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Mermithid nematodes are considered a promising biological control agent to reduce the population density of different blood-feeding vectors, i.e. black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae), which are important pests of medical and veterinary interest worldwide. Immature larvae of black flies were collected in a rill from La Rioja (Northern Spain) in the summer of 2016. Isomermis lairdi Mondet, Poinar & Bernadou, 1977 (Nematoda: Mermithidae) was found parasitizing eleven specimens of Simulium cryophilum s.l. (Rubtsov, 1959) (prevalence of 52%), which represent the first record of this nematode for Spain and the second for Europe. The confirmation of the nematode and the black fly species was carried out by both morphological and molecular approaches using the 18S ribosomal RNA and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I genes. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the collected specimens were Isomermis lairdi (99.4–99.9% identity with homologues from Africa) with a sequence divergence of 0.2%. The role of Isomermis lairdi as an alternative tool in the biological control of black flies in Spain should be further explored. •Phylogenetic analysis reveals Isomermis lardi parasitizing black flies in Spain.•First report of this nematode in Spain and second report in Europe.•Possibility of use I. lardi as biological control tool with black fly populations.
ISSN:2405-9390
2405-9390
DOI:10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100805