Phortica variegata as an intermediate host of Thelazia callipaeda under natural conditions: Evidence for pathogen transmission by a male arthropod vector
Abstract
Knowledge about Phortica variegata (Drosophilidae, Steganinae), the intermediate host of the eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae), is confined to experimental studies. To investigate the role P. variegata plays in the transmission of T. callipaeda under natural conditions, the population dynamics of these flies in the natural environment and their feeding preferences (on vegetables and/or animal lachrymal secretions) were examined. From April to November 2005, a total number of 969 (557 males and 412 females) P. variegata flies were collected weekly in a region of southern Italy with a history of canine thelaziosis. The flies were identified and dissected or subjected to a PCR assay specific for a region within the ribosomal ITS-1 DNA of T. callipaeda. The zoophilic preferences of P. variegata were assessed by collecting flies around the eyes of a person or around a fruit bait. Seven hundred and twenty flies (398 males and 322 females) were dissected under a stereomicroscope; 249 flies (158 males and 91 females) that died prior to the dissection were subjected to molecular investigation. Only P. variegata males were infected with larval T. callipaeda both at dissection (six, 0.83%) and with the specific PCR (seven, 2.81%), representing a total percentage of 1.34% flies infected. Interestingly, only males were collected around the eyes, compared with a male/female ratio of 1:4 around the fruit. This survey indicated that P. variegata males act as intermediate hosts of T. callipaeda under natural conditions in Europe. Both the zoophilic behaviour of P. variegata males on lachrymal secretions and their role as vector of T. callipaeda have been discussed as they represent a peculiarity in medical and veterinary entomology. The synchrony between the fly population dynamics and the biology of the nematode in the definitive host provides an interesting model for exploring the co-evolution of Thelazia spp. with their hosts.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Phortica variegata, the vector of Thelazia callipaeda, is more active at 20-25°C and 50-75% RH during July-August in southern Italy.
“Phortica variegata, the vector of T. callipaeda, was studied in an area of Italy where dog thelaziosis is highly prevalent [16] and found to be more active at 20–25°C and 50–75% RH during July-August in southern Italy [19].”
From Vector-borne helminths of dogs and humans in Europe (2013) · cites this paper as [19]
Cites
Thompson, J. (1997) · Nucleic Acids Research · doi:10.1093/nar/25.24.4876 · Cited by 39,119 · see citing works
Nematode parasites of vertebrates: their development and transmission
Anderson, R. C. (2000) · CABI Publishing eBooks · doi:10.1079/9780851994215.0000 · Cited by 2,487 · see citing works
The Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates
Yorke, W., & Maplestone, P. A. (1926) · Transactions of the American Microscopical Society · doi:10.2307/3221805 · Cited by 774 · see citing works
Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates. Their Development and Transmission
Weischer, B. (2000) · Journal of Phytopathology · doi:10.1111/j.1439-0434.2000.00560.x · Cited by 484 · see citing works
Nutritional regulation of vitellogenesis in mosquitoes: Implications for anautogeny
Attardo, G. M., Hansen, I. A., & Raikhel, A. S. (2005) · Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.ibmb.2005.02.013 · Cited by 340 · see citing works
The Drosophilidae (Diptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark
Bächli, G., Viljoen, F., Escher, S. A., et al. (2004) · BRILL eBooks · doi:10.1163/9789047414681 · Cited by 210 · see citing works
eyeworm: an original endo- and ecto-parasitic nematode
OTRANTO, D., & TRAVERSA, D. (2005) · Trends in Parasitology · doi:10.1016/j.pt.2004.10.008 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Self-citationOTRANTO, D., LIA, R. P., CANTACESSI, C., TESTINI, G., TROCCOLI, A., SHEN, J. L., & WANG, Z. X. (2005) · Parasitology · doi:10.1017/s0031182005008395 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Self-citationOtranto, D., Testini, G., LUCA, F. D., Hu, M., Shamsi, S., & Gasser, R. B. (2005) · Molecular and Cellular Probes · doi:10.1016/j.mcp.2005.05.001 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Self-citationOtranto, D., Ferroglio, E., Lia, R. P., Traversa, D., & Rossi, L. (2003) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2003.07.022 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Self-citationOtranto, D., Lia, R. P., BUONO, V., Traversa, D., & Giangaspero, A. (2004) · Parasitology · doi:10.1017/s0031182004006018 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Self-citationHuman Thelaziosis—A Neglected Parasitic Disease of the Eye
Shen, J., Gasser, R. B., Chu, D., Zengxian, W., Yuan, X.-S., Cantacessi, C., & Otranto, D. (2006) · Journal of Parasitology · doi:10.1645/ge-823r.1 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Self-citationPresence of Thelazia callipaeda Railliet & Henry, 1910, in Piedmont, Italy.
Rossi, L., & Bertaglia, P. P. (1991) · PubMed · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Otranto, D., Tarsitano, E., Traversa, D., et al. (2003) · Parasitology · doi:10.1017/s0031182003003913 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Self-citationFirst case of Thelazia callipaeda infection in a dog in Germany
Hermosilla, C. R., Bauer, C. H., & Herrmann, B. (2004) · Veterinary Record · doi:10.1136/vr.154.18.568 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Otranto, D., & Traversa, D. (2004) · Journal of Parasitology · doi:10.1645/ge-115r1 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citationShi, Y., Han, J., Yang, W., & Wei, D. X. (1988) · Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · doi:10.1016/0035-9203(88)90535-4 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Musca domestica is not a vector of Thelazia callipaeda in experimental or natural conditions
Otranto, D., Lia, R. P., Testini, G., et al. (2005) · Medical and Veterinary Entomology · doi:10.1111/j.0269-283x.2005.00554.x · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Self-citationGeden, C. J., & Stoffolano, J. G. (1981) · Journal of Medical Entomology · doi:10.1093/jmedent/18.6.449 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Canine ocular thelaziosis in Europe.
Chermette, R., Guillot, J., & Bussiéras, J. (2004) · PubMed · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Prehibernating Musca autumnalis (Diptera: Muscidae) — an overwintering host for parasitic nematodes
Chirico, J. (1994) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/0304-4017(94)90119-8 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Chväla, M. (2006) · European Journal of Entomology · doi:10.14411/eje.2006.023 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
O’Hara, J. E., & Kennedy, M. J. (1989) · Journal of Parasitology · doi:10.2307/3283068 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Nematodes Associated with the Genus Musca (Diptera: Muscidae)
Stoffolano, J. G. (1970) · Bulletin of the Entomological Society of America · doi:10.1093/besa/16.4.194 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Wang, Z.-X., Hu, Y., Shen, J.-L., et al. (2003) · PubMed · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Helminth Assemblages of the Turtle Emydura macquarii (Pleurodira: Chelidae) Queensland, Australia
Ferguson, M. A., & Smales, L. R. (2006) · Journal of Parasitology · doi:10.1645/ge-552r.1 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Világiová, I. (1967) · Folia Parasitologica · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Musca domestica an intermediate host of two spirurorid nematode parasites of livestock.
Gupta, V. P. (1970) · Cited by 4 · see citing works
The biology of the nematode Thelazia rhodesii Desmarest, 1837.
Klësov, M. D. (1949) · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Epizoology of thelaziasis in cattle, and biology of Thelazia rhodesii (Desmarest, 1827).
Krastin, N. I. (1949) · Veterinariya · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Vector-borne helminths of dogs and humans in Europe
Otranto, D., Dantas-Torres, F., Brianti, E., Traversa, D., Petrić, D., Genchi, C., & Capelli, G. (2013) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-6-16 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
Self-citationZoonotic helminths affecting the human eye
Otranto, D., & Eberhard, M. L. (2011) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-4-41 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
Self-citationCanine and feline vector-borne diseases in Italy: current situation and perspectives
Otranto, D., & Dantas-Torres, F. (2010) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-3-2 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
“Males of this drosophilid fly have been shown to act as vectors of Thelazia callipaeda eyeworms under both experimental and field conditions [37, 38 ].”
BackgroundSelf-citationThelazia callipaeda: infection in dogs: a new parasite for Spain
Miró, G., Montoya, A., Hernández, L., Dado, D., Vázquez, M. V., Benito, M., Villagrasa, M., Brianti, E., & Otranto, D. (2011) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-4-148 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Self-citationRoggero, C., Schaffner, F., Bächli, G., Mathis, A., & Schnyder, M. (2010) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.03.012 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
- Authors
- Otranto, D., Cantacessi, C., Testini, G., & Lia, R. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Otranto, D.
- Venue
- International Journal for Parasitology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-09
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 10-11
- Pages
- 1167-1173
- ISSN
- 0020-7519 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2169990634
- Cited by
- 157
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal for Parasitology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- CINECA IRIS Institutional Research Information System (University of Bari Aldo Moro) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Helminth infection and control
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Diptera species taxonomy and behavior
- Keywords
- Phortica variegata, Thelazia callipaeda, intermediate hosts, pathogen transmission, zoophily, feeding behaviour, population dynamics, coevolution, eye worm
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Arthropod Vectors, DNA, Dog Diseases, Dogs, Biological Evolution, Feeding Behavior, Female, Host-Parasite Interactions, Humans, Italy, Larva, Male, Sex Factors, Tears, Thelazioidea, Zoonoses, Eye Infections, Parasitic, Spirurida Infections, Drosophilidae
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
