title: Origins of Wohlfahrtia magnifica in Italy based on the identification of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene haplotypes.
abstract: To identify the geographical origins of larvae of Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) causing myiasis of sheep in Italy, comparative DNA sequence analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was performed, based on gene fragments amplified by PCR from genomic DNA isolated from individual specimens. DNA extractions of 19 larvae from Lazio, Molise, Puglia, and Sicilia generated 17 readable sequences homologous to 2 haplotypes, either CB_magn01 or CB_magn02; DNA extracts from 4 adult flies from Calabria (reared from larvae) produced 4 readable sequences belonging to the haplotype CB_magn01. The two haplotypes found represent both the East and West phylogenetic lineages of W. magnifica, which is consistent with the species' arrival from central/southeast Europe (East lineage) and/or from southwest Europe/northwest Africa (West lineage). This is the first report of the sympatric occurrence of the two lineages, which could have resulted from natural or human-assisted dispersal. Polymorphic nuclear loci will have to be characterized in order to explain the origins and lack of mitochondrial haplotype diversity of this pest in Italy, where it poses increasing veterinary problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment (SAFE), University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marangi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Martin J R
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Ready
authors.affiliation: Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment (SAFE), University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy. annunziata.giangaspero@unifg.it.
authors.forename: Annunziata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giangaspero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007814:Larva; D008928:Mitochondria; D009198:Myiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D058493:Sarcophagidae / Q000235:genetics*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D045303:Cytochromes b
keywords: Cytochrome b gene; Italy; Livestock myiasis; Mitochondrial haplotypes; Phylogeography; Wohlfahrtia magnifica