Phthiraptera Anoplura della Sardegna: analisi delle coinfestazioni ectoparassitiche rilevate su animali d'allevamento e selvatici
The studies on arthropods of medical and veterinary importance carried out in Sardinia until now not yet provide a clear and comprehensive overview on the taxa present, their distribution, phenology and the pathogen role. Phthiraptera Anoplura (= Siphunculata), which includes the so called "sucking lice" was almost never investigated in Sardinia. They are small insects, obligatory permanent ectoparasites, characterized by a high host specificity and a high ethological, physiological and anatomical specialization, including the wingless. They feed on epidermal tissues, and the entire life cycle of the Anoplura takes place on the host. Heavy louse infestation may cause to their hosts pruritus, alopecia, weakness, irritability, weight loss and anaemia. They are also potential vectors of pathogens that can cause severe disease in domestic and wild animals as well as humans. One of the most famous can be considered the epidemic typhus whose etiologic agent is Rickettsia prowazeki. It is to be noted that the Anoplura have been little studied all around Italy and the few available published papers are occasional, sporadic and, apart from some recent works, already old. The aim of this PhD was to shed light on Phthiraptera Anoplura in Sardinia, taking into consideration the list of species present on the island, their distribution, phenology, and which mammals are parasitized. In this paper the Anoplura and other arthropod ectoparasites were collected on living and dead animals. The search for parasites was performed by examining the fur and skin of animals, concentrating on the areas of the body more vascularized and susceptible to localization of blood-sucking arthropods. So depending on the host species, was mainly look for the ectoparasites the regions of head, ears, neck, abdomen, the inguinal region and the perianal area. All arthropods found were fixed in 70% ethanol and later identified morphologically at the microscope. The collection of specimens in Sardinia provide information about twelve species of Phthiraptera Anoplura belonging to 6 families: Pediculidae (1 species), Phthiridae (1 species), Haematopinidae (4 species), Linognathidae (4 species), Hoplopleuridae (1 species), Echinophthiriidae (1 species). Were found 121 samples of arthropods with a total of 1294 specimens: 37 Pediculus capitis and 19 Phthirus pubis on man; 144 Haematopinus apri on wild boar; 1 Haematopinus asini on horse; 97 Haematopinus suis on pig and wild boar; 18 Haematopinus tuberculatus on buffalo; 787 Linognathus africanus on goat and sheep; 73 Linognathus stenopsis on goat and mouflon; 2 Linognathus vituli on cattle; 116 Solenopotes burmeisteri on Sardinian red deer. To add at the list, in literature two other species were cited for the island: Schizophthirus pleurophaeus found on the Eliomys quercinus sardus and Echinophthirius horridus found on Monachus monachus. Among other parasites (349 specimens) detected in coinfestation with Anoplura were identified 171 Acari Ixodida Amblyommidae: 73 Rhipicephalus bursa on goat, cattle, horse, sardinian red deer and mouflon; 50 Rhipicephalus turanicus on goat, sheep, pig, wild boar and mouflon; 8 Haemaphysalis punctata on goat and mouflon; 4 Haemaphysalis sulcata on mouflon; 31 Dermacentor marginatus on wild boar and mouflon; 5 Hyalomma marginatum on cattle and horse. On goat also were captured 7 fleas (Siphonaptera) belonging to Ctenocephalides felis (1 specimen); Ctenocephalides canis (1 specimen); Pulex irritans (5 specimens). On a horse was captured a specimen of Hippobosca equina (Diptera Ippoboscide). Were also found 170 Phthiraptera Ischnocera Bovicolidae: Bovicola caprae (143 specimens on goat); Bovicola ovis (23 specimens on sheep and mouflon); Bovicola equi (4 specimens on horse). These three species are at first founded in Sardinia. It has been reported the coinfestations between Anoplura and other parasites taxa in about the 80% of cases, on all the host species, except for man and buffalo. Here there are first reports for Sardinia for at least eight Phthiraptera species; among them Linognathus africanus was just recently reported on the Italian continental part, in Emilia Romagna, and is known in Europe only of Spain, Greece and Turkey. Haematopinus tuberculatus was also only recently reported of central-southern Italy. Solenopotes burmeisteri, was never previously officially reported for Italy but presumed. Besides the new species checklist a preliminary distribution maps for each species of Anoplura are provide. This study collect important new information about the species of ectoparasites that infest mammals in Sardinia, increasing meanwhile the knowledge about the same also in Italy and in the Mediterranean Basin. The results obtained also provide a starting point for faunistic, parasitological and epidemiological future works, for the protection and preservation of the regional livestock, wild animals and public health.
Anoplura, Ischnocera, Mallophaga, Phthiraptera, Sardegna, Sardinia, animali selvatici, chewing lice, ectoparassiti, ixodida, pidocchi, Settore BIO/05 - Zoologia
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