Development of a novel molecular tool to study molecular ecology of Ornithomya (Hippoboscidae) avian louse flies

Exp Parasitol. 2023 Nov 6:108652. doi: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108652. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTLouse flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites of birds and mammals. These widely distributed parasitic flies may have a significant impact on wild and farm animals by feeding on their blood and transmitting bloodborne pathogens. However, despite their ecological importance, louse flies are clearly underrepresented in host-parasite research and, implementation of genetic approaches in this group is generally hampered by lacking molecular tools. In addition, louse flies that parasitize long-distance migrants can travel long distances with their avian hosts, facilitating the large-scale spread of pathogens across landscapes and geographic regions. Given the wide diversity of louse flies that parasitize a variety of avian hosts, their direct negative impact on host survival, and their high potential to transmit bloodborne pathogens even along avian migration routes, it is surprising that our knowledge of louse fly ecology is rather modest and incomplete. Here, we aimed to develop a novel molecular tool for polyxenous avian louse flies from the genus Ornithomya, which are among the most common and widely distributed representatives of Hippoboscidae family to improve the study of the genetic population structures and molecular ecology of these louse flies. Using the Illumina Mi-seq sequencing, we conducted a genome-wide scan in Ornithomya avicularia ...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Authors: Source Type: research