Report of Amblyomma testudinarium in mithuns (Bos frontalis) from eastern Mizoram (India)

Elephantoloemus indicus Austen, 1930 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as the cause of cutaneous myiasis in captive Indian elephants from Assam, India

Elephantoloemus indicus Austen, 1930, a dipteran calliphorid fly is known to cause by its larval stage obligatory cutaneous myiasis in Indian subspecies of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus Cuvier, 1798) in Myanmar and Thailand. The present study was undertaken on morphological identification of some specimens of fly larvae which were recovered from the warbles detected on the skin of captive Indian elephants at the Nameri National Park and Kaziranga National Park both situated in the state of Assam, India. The larval specimens were whitish to creamy white in colour and body conformation varied from cylindrical to barrel shaped depending on their measured size (Av 6.12 ± 0.28 × 2.35 ± 0.12 mm). Microscopic examination of processed larvae revealed presence of numerous single pointed spines uniformly distributed on entire body surface, well developed mouth hooks and cephalopharyngeal skeleton at the anterior end and posterior spiracles each with lightly sclerotized peritreme enclosing three short and straight respiratory slits. Based on geographical distribution of the fly, host relation, larval parasitism and morphological characters, the larvae were determined as of the genus Elephantoloemus which is represented by E. indicus as the only species described so far. This finding seems to be the first record in India after its report from Myanmar and Thailand.

Comparative mitogenomics elucidates the population genetic structure of Amblyomma testudinarium in Japan and a closely related Amblyomma species in Myanmar

Ticks are the second most important vector capable of transmitting diseases affecting the health of both humans and animals. Amblyomma testudinarium Koch 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), is a hard tick species having a wide geographic distribution in Asia. In this study, we analyzed the composition of A. testudinarium whole mitogenomes from various geographical regions in Japan and investigated the population structure, demographic patterns, and phylogeographic relationship with other ixodid species. In addition, we characterized a potentially novel tick species closely related to A. testudinarium from Myanmar. Phylogeographic inference and evolutionary dynamics based on the 15 mitochondrial coding genes supported that A. testudinarium population in Japan is resolved into a star‐like haplogroup and suggested a distinct population structure of A. testudinarium from Amami island in Kyushu region. Correlation analysis using Mantel test statistics showed that no significant correlation was observed between the genetic and geographic distances calculated between the A. testudinarium population from different localities in Japan. Finally, demographic analyses, including mismatch analysis and Tajima’s D test, suggested a possibility of recent population expansion occurred within Japanese haplogroup after a bottleneck event. Although A. testudinarium has been considered widespread and common in East and Southeast Asia, the current study suggested that potentially several cryptic Amblyomma spp. closely related to A. testudinarium are present in Asia.

Identification, Distribution, and Habitat Suitability Models of Ixodid Tick Species in Cattle in Eastern Bhutan

Tick infestation is the most reported parasitological problem in cattle in Bhutan. In May and June 2019, we collected ticks from 240 cattle in two districts of Eastern Bhutan. Tick presence, diversity, and infestation prevalence were examined by morphological identification of 3600 live adult ticks. The relationships between cattle, geographic factors, and infestation prevalence were assessed using logistic regression analyses. Habitat suitability for the tick species identified was determined using MaxEnt. Four genera and six species of ticks were found. These were Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini) (70.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 68.7-71.7)), Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides Supino (18.8% (95% CI: 17.5-20.1)), Haemaphysalis bispinosa Neumann (8.2% (95% CI: 7.3-9.1)), Haemaphysalis spinigera Neumann (2.5% (95% CI: 2-3)), Amblyomma testudinarium Koch (0.19% (95% CI: 0.07-0.4)), and a single unidentified Ixodes sp. Logistic regression indicated that the variables associated with infestation were: longitude and cattle age for R. microplus; latitude for R. haemaphysaloides; and altitude and cattle breed for H. bispinosa and H. spinigera. MaxEnt models showed land cover to be an important predictor for the occurrence of all tick species examined. These findings provide information that can be used to initiate and plan enhanced tick surveillance and subsequent prevention and control programs for ticks and tick-borne diseases in cattle in Bhutan.