A new parasites of Ungulates Italy: L. fortisetosa (Diptera: Hippoboscidae)

In the last decades the presence of wild ungulates in Italy has increased its levels causing management issues. It is assessed that between 1980 and 2010 Cervus elaphus has increased its presence of more than 700% and Capreolus capreolus of 350%. The other species’ increments range from 120% of Rupicapra rupicapra to 300% of Ovis musimon. Tuscany, in particular, is the region with the highest presence of roe deer, wild boar, fallow deer and red deer. In 2012 it was estimated the presence in Tuscany of 200˙000 roe deer, 200˙000 wild boar, 8˙000 fallow deer and 4˙000 red deer. The massive presence of ungulates leads not only to several problems related to wildlife management and its social and environmental implications, but also to a consequent increase of their parasites. Among these, the Diptera hippoboscid ectoparasites are relevant under a sanitary point of view; they live at the expenses of various species of ungulates and can accidentally infest other species including humans. The hippoboscids damage the hosting animals causing sickness and stress and maintaining the transmission of pathogens and zoonoses (Borreliosis, Anaplasmosis, Trypanosomiasis). In addition to the problems related to native ungulates, it is important to consider the ones related to the allochtonous ones. The presence of the latter in nature is the consequence of intentional or accidental immissions, a common phenomena motivated by interests such as hunting or the creation of wildlife parks. Especially cervids were involved in these operations representing the major species naturalized in Europe and worldwide. For example, the Sika deer (Cervus nippon) was recently discovered in Italian territory in the provinces of Trento and Modena. Hence, the increase of cervids, the recent confirmed presence of C. nippon in our territory and the climate changes, as the rising of temperature that favours the spread of parasites, are some of the reasons to intensify the monitoring of wildlife, considering also the parasites control. To this purpose a research was made in order to determine the presence of the hippoboscid Lipoptena cervi and to have a deeper morphological, biological and ecological knowledge of this species that has not been recently studied and has not been properly described yet. In this preliminary step five animals were analyzed: 3 specimens of C. elaphus, a male fawn, a female fawn and a yearling male, each shot in the province of Prato in 2017, on January 29th, February 11th, and March 11th respectively;, and 2 specimens of Capreolus capreolus, a male fawn shot in the province of Grosseto (2017 August 26th) and an adult female living at the experimental farm of DISPAA in Firenze. The examined subjects hosted a great number of ectoparasites: among these the presence of the hippoboscid Lipoptena fortisetosa was detected; this species, already reported in other European countries, had never been found in Italy yet. From the 5 animals we collected 630 parasites of L. cervi and 150 of L. fortisetosa. A morphological study allowed to identify the peculiar characteristics that facilitate the distinction between the two species. The biggest difference is the dimensions, is smaller and less hairy than L. cervi. A deeper observation showed that the abdomen of L. fortisetosa is less sclerotized and of a lighter colour, and the abdomen in males is less developed compared to L. cervi. The head of L. fortisetosa has a characteristic rhomboidal shape, whereas in L. cervi it is ovoid. The thorax also differs for the distribution of bristles and for other structures and sutures. The analyzed ungulates were from different habitats and areas far from each other, thus the presence of L. fortisetosa in the territory of the Northern Apennines could be considered neither sporadic nor accidental. This study is the first reporting of L. fortisetosa in Italy; at the present it is not possible to confirm if the presence is due to C. nippon, its principal host; the Sika deer could had spread in Europe by bringing its ectoparasites, that could have adapted later infesting other cervids and carrying further potentially pathogenic agents. This hypothesis would need an increment of controls in order to determine the degree of the spread of this hippoboscid, either geographically or related to the host species, its present degree of adaptation, and moreover to prove that C. nippon is responsible for its presence.