First record of Megaselia scalaris (LOEW) (DIPTERA: PHORIDAE) infesting a spinose ear tick, Otobius megnini, colony in Sri Lanka

摘要

Megaselia scalaris (Loew) is a cosmopolitan polyphagous small fly with the abilityof exploiting variety of ecological niches. Different life history stages act as detritivore,parasite, and parasitoid of wider spectrum of plant and animal matter under natural andlaboratory conditions. Here, for the first time we present the opportunistic parasitism of M.scalaris on Otobius megnini, which act as a vector of Q fever and is capable of causingparalysis, toxic conditions, otoacariasis and otitis in humans and other animals. Tick samplesfrom the ear canals of 14 thoroughbred horses were brought to the laboratory and severaldays later, larvae of M. scalaris were found feeding on immature stages of O. megnini. Whenthe development was completed pupae were found attached to adult ticks and all nymphswere found dead. This context reveals the capability of M. scalaris surviving on O. megniniand the risk of their invading ear canals of horses.