Research Article LACERATED MYIASIS by BLOWFLY on Bufo

Available Online at http://www.recentscientific.com International Journal of CODEN: IJRSFP (USA) Recent Scientific

International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Research Vol. 11, Issue, 08 (B), pp. 39479-39482, August, 2020 ISSN: 0976-3031 DOI: 10.24327/IJRSR Research Article

LACERATED MYIASIS BY BLOWFLY ON Bufo melanostictus SCHNEIDER, 1799 IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Sanjukta Manna*

Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College,8 Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700 013, India

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2020.1108.5511

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article History: Larvae of blowflies can cause obligatory myiasis on common toad but it is the first report of flesh- eating behavior of maggots of Calliphoridaeon Bufo melanostictus from South 24 Parganas West Received 14th May, 2020 th Bengal, India. We documented the blowfly maggot infestation with the morphometry of larvae.The Received in revised form 29 larvae are nearly transparent, usually more or less flattened. They were identified with their twelve June, 2020 body segments and internal chitinous cephalopharyngeal skeleton having oral hooks and Accepted 05th July, 2020 th characteristically recessed posterior spiracles. Two strongly sclerotized posterior spiracles with Published online 28 August, 2020 narrow peritremal ring appeared as finger like projection. The larvae sizes are in the range of 7.0 to

12.0 mm. in length with the average of about 10.0 ± 0.1 mm.The warm climate of March is the best Key Words: suited for incubation of myiasis producing maggots on toads. Maggots, Calliphoridae, Cephalopharyngeal Skeleton, Spiracle.

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INTRODUCTION The myiasis from Indian Anurans are not extensively recorded except Dasgupta (1962) who had drawn attention on lesions on Myiasis in anurans is usually caused by the larvae of diptera hind leg of Bufo melanostictus collected from Siliguri district, from the Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Chloroidae, and West Bengal and identified the flies as Lporphyrina Walker Muscidae families (Eizemberg et al. 2008) and can cause 1856.The obligate myiasis-causing blow-fly parasites have substantial mortality (Dasgupta 1962; Reichenback-Klinke and evolved from an ancestral saprophagous stage, with flies Elkan 1965). These dipterans have been reported as an obligate occasionally being attracted to decaying tissue or wounded parasite of amphibians, particularly Bufo melanostictus.Mainly animals. This later involved into flies which relied more on blowflies of Calliphoridae show a special type of living tissue until obligate parasites evolved (Zumpt1967; Mc ectoparasitism on Bufo melanostictus that causes myiasis. It has Donagh 2009). Till date no comprehensive data of myiasis on been known for a long time that Lucilia sp. of Calliphoridae Bufo melanostictusare available with morphometric support which is Nearctic and Palaearctic in distribution, is parasitic on from India.The present study registers the infestation of toads causing myiasis (Dasgupta 1962). Hall (1948) included L. blowfly maggot causing dermal myiasis on common toad Bufo bufonivora Moniez 1876., L. silvarumMeigen 1826 and L. melanostictus collected from Jaynagar, South 24 Parganas, elongata Shannon 1924 are the main species parasitic on West Bengal, India. In this research work myiasis causing toad.These ﬂies lay eggs on healthy hosts with ﬁrst instar larvae larvaewere identified on the basis of morphometry with host penetrating the skin causing primary myiasis or if the larvae and locality (Szpila2010). penetrate previous wounds causing secondary myiasis. The larvae feed on the living tissue of their host and initiating Experimental Section myiasis as a result (Stevens and Wall 1997). Adult flies are not Bufomelanostictus, the common Indian toad, were collected parasitic and resemble house flies. They were saprophagous from paddy fields which was its natural habitatat Jaynagar, and had tendency to migrate in search of soft fleshy part of the South 24-Parganas District, West Bengal, India in the month of haunch. Extensive histological changes of the skin took place March, 2018. We observed three Bufo melanostictus with due to larval infestation. The epidermal cells were dissolved by external lacerated wound on one of the hind legs out of six alkaline proteolytic enzyme (Zumpt 1965). specimens collected. Toads with external lesions on limbs were

*Corresponding author: Sanjukta Manna Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College,8 Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700 013, India International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Vol. 11, Issue, 08 (B), pp. 39479-39482, August, 2020 separated and anaesthetized and wound parts were placed in petri dish with normal saline at room temperature. Total 65maggots were obtained from the wound after three to four hours. The maggots were preserved in 70% ethanol and examined microscopically (Trinocular Microscope, ZEISS). All the larvae were photographed with the help of a Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T10 camera.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

It was found that infected toads were usually motionless, probably due to extensive destruction of their muscular tissues as the maggots burrowed the lesion, congregated and fed the flesh as a group (Fig1).It was observed that the larvae or maggots were crawling down in saline from open wound and actively seeking a suitable area to pupate (Fig 2).

Fig 3 A pair of oral hook

Fig 1 Maggots burrowed the lesion on hind limb of Bufo melanostictus Fig 4 Spinose bands with cuticular spines

The 1st instar larvae emerged from hatched eggs on the host and the larvae commence feeding immediately. They rapidly develop into second and third instar after consuming liquid protein from blood and muscle from the host. They moved independently about the surface. All segments of larvae had pronounced ridges and with rings of small dark spinose bands with cuticular spines (Fig4). The tip of spines was single and arranged in irregular rows (Fig5). The span of the posterior spinose bands increases towards the end of the body whereas reverse trends was observed in case of body segment. Similar observation was reported by Szpila (2010). The first segment corresponded to the head and was small, membranous. The cephalopharyngeal sclerites, also known as the cephalopharyngeal skeleton consisted of two oral hooks, two dental sclerites, the hypostomal sclerites, the pharyngeal sclerites, the ventral cornu,the dorsal cornu, and broad vertical

plate as shown in (Fig6). The dorsal cornu was longer than Fig 2 Second instar larva ventral cornu. The ventral cornu ended with pigmented

The larvae emerged from the toad within a day of collection area.The two halves of the skeleton had a transverse connecting and possess the typical characteristics of the genus Lucilia sp. They were in the range of 7.0 to 12.0 mm long with the average of about 10.0 ± 0.1 mm.The maggots were nearly transparent, usually more or less flattened. They were identified with their twelve body segments, cephalopharyngeal skeleton and characteristically recessed posterior spiracles. The anterior end bore a pair of oral hooks (Fig3) that were connected to the internal, chitinous, cephalopharyngeal skeleton.

Fig 5 Irregular arrangement of the spines 39480 | P a g e Sanjukta Manna., Lacerated Myiasis by Blowfly on Bufomelanostictus Schneider, 1799 in West Bengal, India

inflicting considerable damage (Monzu 1978).In present investigation it was observed that blowfly larvae of Calliphoridae feed readily on muscles and blood of living toad like the flesh fly (Sarcophagids).Luciliabufonivora has been reported as the cause of myiasis in a range of amphibian hosts; however, most reports relate to infestations of the common toad, Bufobufo (Anura: Bufonidae). and have been reported to occur in the nasal cavities of their host (WeddelingandKordges 2008; Martín et al. 2012). Toad myiasis due to L. silvarum have been reported to occur in the back, neck, legs and parotid glands of the host (Bolekand Coggins 2002).L.bufonivora and L. silvarum were considered separately and genetically studied

by Arias-Robledo et al. 2018 and confirmed their taxonomic Fig 6 Cephalopharyngeal skeleton with two oral hooks (OH), two dental status although these two are morphologically similar. sclerites (DS), the hypostomal sclerites (HS), the pharyngeal sclerites (PhS), the ventral cornu (Vc), the dorsal cornu (Dc) The Calliphorid blowfly Luciliasp. composedlargely of

Dorsal bridge, giving the skeleton an H-shaped saprophagous and obligatory agentsof myiasis. In Europe many configuration.The twelfth segment was modified by the species are involved in myiasis of sheep,goat, pigsetc. Most presence of the anus which was a simple aperture surrounded cases of toad myiasis by L. bufonivora have been reported to in by a chitinous ring. Two strongly sclerotized posterior spiracles the nasal cavities of their host (van Diepenbeek. andHuijbregts situated in the depressed area of the twelfth segment and were 2011; Martín et al.2012) and toad myiasis due to L.silvarum developing in thenasal cavities ((Bolekand Coggins 2002). orientated in a ventral-caudal direction. They appeared as finger like projection microscopicallyandwere placed Body myiasis tended to occur when warm wet conditions superficially. Posterior spiracle with narrow peritremal ring coincided with high fly abundance. In warm temperatures toads showed an inner projection between two slits (Fig7). Tubercles are more active and can travel more quickly. This may of last segment were relatively small (Fig8). With these influence the seasonal activity and development of blowfly characters the larvae were recognized as Luciliabufonivora, population as the heat activated reactions provide energy to atoad blowfly. move muscles which are best suited for incubation of myiasis producing maggots (Zabala et al.2014). Preventing the spread of this myiasis‐causing species is of great importance in ecological balance as well as epidemiological surveillance.

Acknowledgement

I convey my sincere gratitude to Prof. Subir Chandra Das Gupta, Head of the Department, Zoology and Coordinator of DBT Star Programme, Maulana Azad College for providing necessary infrastructure required for the study.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The project is formulated following the guidelines of Fig 7 Sclerotized posterior spiracles with narrow peritremal ring Institutional Animal Ethics Committee and got approval from

faculty Research Committee and toad has been killed for the present study following guidelines of the Committee (F.No.25/250/2012-AWD). The authors declare that the study was conducted on naturally infected animals in the field. No experimental infection was established during this research work.

References

Arias-Robledo G, Stark T, WallRL, Stevens JR(2019) The toad fly Luciliabufonivora: its evolutionary status and molecular identification. Med Vet Entomol 33(1): 131- 139

Bolek MG,Coggins JR (2002) Observations on myiasis by Fig 8 Tubercles in the posterior segment the calliphorid, Bufo luciliasilvarum, in the Eastern The blowfly larvaefeed upon living tissues at least for a period American toad (Bufo americanusamericanus) from of time to make“punched out" ulcers which frequently merge to southeastern Wisconsin. J Wild Dis 38: 598–603 produce larger ulcers with scalloped edges.Third stage larvae Dasgupta B (1962) On the myiasis of the Indian toad Bufo have developed mouthparts capable of rasping the skin and melanostictus. Parasitol 52:63–66

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Eizemberg R, Sabagh LT, Mello RS (2008) First record of Stevens J,Wall R(1997) The evolution of ectoparasitism in myiasis in Aplastodiscusarildae (Anura: Hylidae) by the genus Lucilia (Diptera: Calliphoridae). International Notochaetabufonivora (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) in the J Parasitol27 (1): 51-59 Neotropical area. Parasitol Res 102: 329-33 SzpilaK (2010) Key for the Identification of Third Instars of Hall DG(1948) The Blow-flies of North America.The European Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of Forensic Thomas Say Foundation, USA, pp. 215. Importance. Current Concepts in Forensic Entomology, Zabala J, Dı´azB, Salon˜ a-BordasMI (2014) Seasonal Edn 1 Springer pp.43-56 Blowfly Distribution and Abundance in Fragmented van Diepenbeek A,Huijbregts H(2011) De pad Landscapes. Is It Useful in Forensic Inference about enzijnkwelgeest [The toad and his torturer]. RAVON 41: Where a Corpse Has Been Decaying? PLOS ONE 9(6): 64-70 1-11 Weddeling K,Kordges T(2008)Luciliabufonivora infestation Martín BD, OteizaAG,BordasMIS (2012)Confirmación de la (myiasis) in amphibians in North Rhine-Westphalia – presencia de LuciliabufonivoraMoniez, 1876 (Diptera: distribution, host species, ecology and phenology. Calliphoridae) en la penínsulaIbérica. Boletín de la Zeitschriftfür Feldherpetologie 15: 183–202 Asociación Española de Entomología36: 433–438 Zumpt F (1965) Myasis in man and animals in the Old Mcdonagh LM (2009) Assessing patterns of genetic and World. Butterworths, London [Ch. albiceps] antigenic diversity inCalliphoridae (blowflies). Phd Zumpt F,Ledger J(1967) A malign case of myiasis caused thesis, University of Exeter by Hemipyrelliafernandica (Macquart) (Diptera Monzu N(1978) Some basic facts about primary blowflies. Calliphoridae) in a cape hedgehog (Erinaceus Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western frontalis A. Smith). Acta Zoologica et Pathologica Australia 19(3):93-95 Antverpiensia43: 85-91. Reichenback-KlinkeG, Elkan E(1965) The principal diseases of lower vertebrates. Diseases of amphibians. Academic Press Inc., London, England, pp. 381

How to cite this article:

Sanjukta Manna.2020, Lacerated Myiasis by Blowfly on Bufomelanostictus Schneider, 1799 in West Bengal, India. Int J Recent Sci Res. 11(08), pp. 39479-39482. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2020.1108.5511

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