2º VET-CPA PARASITOLOGY MARÍA GUTIERREZ

ARTHROPODA
CLASSIFICATION

DEFINITION, STRUCTURE, FUNCTIONS AND GENERAL LIFE CYCLE

STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

Arthropoda are invertebrates that have a hard chitinous exoskeleton, a segmented body (metamerics) and jointed
limbs. Represents ~80% of all known animal species (106 sp. described)

Segments fused into clusters giving rise to head, thorax and abdomen

Segmentation degree varies among classes and has become greatly reduced in the arachnids

Exoskeleton or cuticle:

- Non-cellular, chitinous and/or tanned/sclerotised

- Penetrated, for substance and gas exchange
- With outgrows, such as scales, spines or hairs...
- Segmented, to allow movement
- Soft, flexible and pale in larval forms

Gas exchange through openings called spiracles (insects) or stigmata (mites and ticks), tracheae and tracheoles
(~alveoles)

Simple circulatory system consisting of sinuses cavities or called haemocoel and blood called haemolymph (mostly
without respiratory pigment as it is not involved in gas exchange)

Complex nervous system related to well developed sense organs and highly elaborated behaviours

Arthropod sense organs include hairs, bristles or setae with mechano-, chemo- or thermo- receptors and different type
of eyes with different level of complexity according to species biology (even absent in some mites, ticks and lice).

Digestive system is a simple tub from mouth to anus (foregut, midgut and hindgut)

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Sexes are separate in most arthropods and mating is required to produce fertile eggs; females may lay eggs or already
hatched larvae

Successive moulting (ecdysis) of exoskeleton is necessary to allow growing and a new flexible cuticle gives rise to the
new exoskeleton after hardening process

Morphologically distinct life cycle-stages are known as “instars” (“estadíos”)

Association between arthropod ectoparasites and vertebrate hosts can be:

- Facultative (intermittent contact, less host-specific)

- Obligatory (continuous association, highly host-specific)

FAMILIES, GENERA AND SP. WITH PATHOGENIC IMPORTANCE

Two important classes of veterinary importance (INSECTA and

ARACHNIDA); a third class (PENTASTOMIDA) of lesser veterinary
importance

- INSECTA: Adults have 3 pairs of legs, head, thorax and abdomen

are distinct and have a pair of antennae (flies, lice, fleas and bed
bugs)
- ARACHNIDA: Adults and nymphs have 4 pairs of legs (as opposite
to larvaeà 3 pairs), the body is divided into gnathosoma
(mouthparts) and idiosoma (fused cephalo-thorax and abdomen),
they have no antennae (mites and ticks)
- PENTASTOMIDA: Adults in respiratory tract of vertebrates. Looks like an annelid worm. Genus Linguatula is the
only important one

CLASS INSECTA

General morphology

- Three pair of legs (adults) (arising from the thorax)

- Three well separated sections: head, thorax and abdomen
- Single pair of antennae and a pair of compound eyes in head
- Legs adapted for walking or running (mostly) but also for jumping (fleas) or clinging to the hairs (lice)
- Wings, if present, also originate in the thorax section and have a characteristic arrangement of sclerotized
veins that may be useful for identification

Life cycle

Two types of LC: simple (hemimetabolous development) and complex (holometabolous development)

- Simple: The juvenile resemble adult, except that wings or genitalia are not developed. Juveniles usually called
nymphs, make new cuticles and shed the old at intervals, usually 4 or 5 times, increasing in size (incomplete or
partial metamorphosis)
- Complex: Juvenile instars and adults are very different. Juveniles known as larva (or maggot or grub or
caterpillar) whereas the adult (or imago) is the reproductive and dispersal form. Complete metamorphosis is
needed to reach the adult form passing through and intermediate pupal stage

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ORDER DIPTERA
True flies and mosquitoes (one pair of wings) with over

120.000 species

Complex LC

Parasitic either as larvae or as adults, but rarely in both

Adults can be important as vectors of disease

Two sub-orders:

- Nematocera (Mosquitoes, midges)

- Brachycera (Flies)

MOSQUITOES AND MIDGES

Small, slender and delicate flies with long filamentous antennae composed of many articulating segments, as well as
long narrow wings

Eggs are laid in or near water and develop into aquatic mobile larvae and pupa

Only females are parasitic, with piercing-sucking mouthparts

Important genera are:

- Culicoides or biting midges

- Phlebotomus or sandflies
- Anopheles
- Aedes
- Culex

CULICOIDES. Small flies/mosquitoes known as biting midges

- Hosts are domestic animals and humans; painful bite

- Worldwide distribution; crepuscular or nocturnal feeders
- Transmit various protozoa, helminths and up to 50 arboviruses*
- Not strong fliers, hence remain close to larval habitats in small swarms
- Females are attracted to the smell and warmth of their hosts
- Species of this genus have different spots pattern on mottled wings
- 1,5-5 mm length; brownish-black abdomen; short legs and mouthparts

*Arthropod-borne viruses~viruses transmitted by arthropods

Phlebotomus or sandflies

- Hosts are many mammals (including humans), reptiles & birds;

painful bite
- Known vectors of Leishmania in (sub-)tropical and Mediterranean areas
- Nocturnal feeders, hairy appearance, long legs...
- Lanceolate (shape) hairy wings held erect over the body at rest
- Bite in exposed skin areas such as ears, eyelids, nose, feet and tail
- Up to 5 mm long, large black eyes, short to medium length mouthparts

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- Need moist conditions for survival but not necessarily water

Family Culicidae are the true Mosquitoes (~3000 species)

- Genera Anopheles, Aedes and Culex

- Vectors of malaria (Plasmodium spp.), filarial nematodes and viruses
- Not painful bite but cause mild inflammatory/allergic skin reactions
- Nocturnal or crepuscular feeders; opportunistic host selection
- Adult mosquitos are strong fliers à ability for active search of hosts far from aquatic environments
- Long narrow wings held crossed flat over the abdomen
- Small (2-10 mm length) slender flies with long legs, prominent eyes & long mouthparts (proboscis)
- Adverse impacts on animal herds attacked by huge numbers of blood- seeking mosquitoes

FLIES

Up to 120 families

Main distinguishing characteristic à reduced antenna segmentation

Large flies with stout antennae

- Family Tabanidae

Small to medium flies with short 3-segments antennae:

- F. Muscidae: Nuisance flies

- F. Hippoboscidae: Remain on host long periods
- F. Glossinidae: Tsetse flies (IH and vector of trypanosomiasis in Africa)

Associated with MYIASIS (infestation of the tissues of a living animal with fly - Diptera- larvae):

- F. Oestridae: Larvae are obligatory parasites of animals with high host specificit
- Others: F. Calliphoridae, F. Sarcophagidae...

F. TABANIDAE

Large flies with stout antennae.

- Only females are parasitic. They use their scissor-like mouthparts to cut the skin of host
and feed on the blood
- Their bites are deep and painful and can carry pathogens like filarial nematodes
- Tabanus (or horse fly) is the most important genus. Worldwide. There are many species.

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F. MUSCIDAE

Small to medium flies

- Commonly known as house flies or stable flies

- Worldwide distribution
- Adults can be predatory, hematophagous, saprophagous, or feed on a variety of plant and
animal exudates (they can be attracted to various substances including sugar)
- The housefly, Musca domestica, is the best known and most important species.

Stomoxys or stable fly, suck blood from animals

F. HIPPOBOSCIDAE

Colloquially known as “louse flies” or “keds”

- Blood-feeding obligate parasites of mammals and birds

- Depending on the species, wings may be present, vestigial or absent

Important genera are:

- Hippobosca: ectoparasites of horses and other large mammals including cattle

- Melophagus: wingless fly (ovine)

F. GLOSSINIDAE

Genus Glossina

- Tsetse fly; IH and vector of trypanosomiasis in Africa

- Blood feeding in vertebrate animals

F. OESTRIDAE

Colloquially known as bots or warble flies (“barros”)

- Larvae are obligatory parasites of animals with high host specificity

- Important genera include:
o Oestrus
o Gasterophilus
o Hypoderma MYIASIS
o Cuterebra
o Dermatobia

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OESTRUS OVIS

Colloquially known as “sheep nasal bot”

Worldwide distribution, affects mainly sheep, deer # and goats

Life cycle: (1) Females (viviparous) deposit larvae in the host nostrils; (2) Larvae move up through the nasal passage,
enter a nasal sinus*, feed on mucus, grow and moult; (3) once fully developed drops to the ground, buries itself and
pupates**; (4) adults*** emerge up to the surface and reproduce

* Larvae remain in nasal sinus 25–35 days when warm weather or up to 10 mo. in colder seasons or regions

** The pupa takes from 3–9 weeks to mature, depending on climatic conditions

*** Adults do not feed (except water) during their 2–4 weeks of adult life

# See Cephenemyia stimulator for an example of a specific Genus/Sp affecting roe deer

GASTEROPHILUS SP.

Colloquially known as “horse bots”

Located in the stomach of horses, donkeys, mules... (worldwide)

Life cycle: (1) Females deposit eggs in different parts of the body, depending on specific species; (2) hosts ingest
eggs/larvae and, after a buccal phase (tongue), pass to the stomach, where they grow during months; (3) pass out with
faeces and pupate in the soil; (4) adult emergence*

*Adult flies (robust dark flies covered with yellow hairs) are not parasitic and cannot feed; they survive long enough to
mate and lay eggs and die in 2 wk

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HYPODERMA SP.

Colloquially known as “warble fly” (“barros” in Spanish) Affects mainly cattle

Two main species: H. bovis and H. lineatum

Life cycle: (1) Adults lay eggs in the hair of ventral areas; (2) larvae penetrate the skin and migrate along the connective
tissue to finally allocate SC along the back of the host during winter, where they are palpable as swellings; (3) once fully
developed, larvae emerge and pupate in the ground; (4) adult emergence*

*Adult flies (~15 mm long and bee appearance) emerge on warm, sunny days between June and August; they live for
around 3 weeks without feeding

CUTEREBRA SP. AND DERMATOBIA SP.

Cuterebra sp.: New World skin bot flies, cause myasis in rodents, rabbits, dogs and cats. Affectation includes
subcutaneous cyst formation, but migration to the brain or respiratory tract may also occur

Dermatobia sp.: Human bot fly, present from Mexico to northern Argentina. Larvae are vectored by biting mosquitoes
or flies, use the bite as entry point and develop in the subcutaneous tissue

MYIASIS

Two more families associated with myiasis:

1. Calliphoridae: its larvae feed on the cutaneous tissue of warm-blooded animals in

the New World tropics

2. Sarcophagidae: known as flesh flies; Wohlfahrtia is important in veterinary

medicine, causing myiasis in mammals, including (rarely) humans

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ORDER PHTHIRAPTERA
Lice are permanent obligate ectoparasites; highly host specific, even for some anatomical areas

Small (0.5-8 mm), stout legs and claws, wingless and mostly blind Feed on epidermal tissue debris, feathers, secretions
and blood Two main groups:

– Sucking lice (Anoplura) with small pointed heads and terminal mouthparts; exclusive to mammals
(Haematopinus)

– Chewing lice (Mallophaga) with large rounded heads and ventral mouthparts; birds and mammals

LICE (LOUSE)

Life cycle (simple, without metamorphosis): (1) Female lay eggs or nits glued to hair or feathers and 1 week hatch the
nymphs*; (2) nymphs mature after 3 moults and become adults** 7 days after hatching; (3) Adult lice can live up to 30
days, feed several times daily and transmit by direct physical contact

*Nymph looks like an adult louse, but smaller

**Adult females are larger than males and can lay up to 8 nits per day

HAEMATOPINUS SP.

Haematopinus is the largest louse of domestic mammals of up to 5

mm. Is a sucking lice, parasite of cattle, pigs and horses

MENACANTHUS SP.

Menacanthus is a chewing lice. The most pathogenic on birds; can cause severe damage

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FAMILY TRICHODECTIDAE

Chewing lice with 2 important genera:

Felicola found on cats

Trichodectes found on dogs

FAMILY BOVICOLIDAE

Bovicola found on cattle, sheep and horses

ORDER SIPHONAPTERA
Fleas are small (1-4 mm), wingless, obligate, blood-feeding parasites Not host specific (many species can parasite a
range of hosts) Only adults* are parasites

Fleas are important in dogs, cats and poultry

Life cycle (complex**, with metamorphosis): Eggs hatch on the ground, larvae feed on debris and adult faeces, moult
and become pupa. Duration depends on temperature and humidity (from 18 days to 12 months)

*Adults morphology:

The third pair of legs is much longer, for jumping

Head and first segment of thorax may have dark spines called ctenidia (or combs) which may be useful for identification

Females are larger (have bigger food requirements)

**Several stages, not several host needed

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FLEAS

Important veterinary genera include:

- Ctenocephalides: C.canis, C.felis are the dog and cat fleas, respectively, despite can parasite other mammals
(have ctenidia); worldwide
- Pulex irritans or human flea can also parasite pigs, dogs, cats and rats (have NO ctenidia); worldwide

ORDER HEMIPTERA
Colloquially known as bedbugs

Blood feeders of humans and a wide range of animals

Life cycle is simple Two main families:

Genus Cimex: Worldwide nuisance pest, real bed bugs in “1st” world; unknown vectorial
capacity

Genera Triatoma and Rhodnius: are known vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi in South America

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CLASS ARACHNIDA

Adults have 4 pairs of legs, the body is divided in gnathosoma (mouth parts) and idiosoma (cephalo-thorax and
abdomen), and have no antennae nor wings

Life cycle has 4 basic stages: egg, larva (6 legs), nymph (8 legs) and adult (8 legs)

MITES
Mites are obligate parasites in the skin of mammals and birds

Feed on blood, lymph, skin debris or secretions

They spend all life and complete cycle on the same host in a few days or weeks

Transmission by direct contact and rapid increase once on the new host

The most important genera are:

- Psoroptes, Chorioptes, Otodectes

- Sarcoptes scabiei (the only species in this genus)
- Demodex
- Cheyletiella
- Dermanyssus
- Varroa

PSOROPTES, CHORIOPTES, OTODECTES

This 3 genera belong to the same family (Psoroptidae)

They are surface non-burrowing mites with oval bodies and long legs that project far away from the body

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Psoroptes mites cause psoroptic mange mainly in rabbit (auricular mange; P.

cuniculi) and sheep (P. ovis)

Chorioptes affects mainly horses and cattle (Chorioptic mange)

Otodectes are ear mites that infest mainly dogs and cats

SARCOPTES SCABIEI

Burrowing mites with circular bodies and short-leg appearance

Affect mammals worldwide, causing mange in mammals and scabies in humans

Burrow in the skin of their hosts, which lead to intense inflammatory response and
hyperkeratosis

A single species with a variety of host-adapted strains

Cross-transmission is possible (including zoonotic), despite it is considered that infestations of specific strains in the
wrong host are self-limiting.

DEMODEX

Demodex live in or near hair follicles or sebaceous glands of mammals, including human

Are small mites with elongated body and four short legs at the front of the body

Species are highly specialized: D.canis, D.bovis,

D.equi, D.cati…

D. folliculorum and D. brevis are found on humans

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CHEYLETIELLA

Cheyletiella live on the skin surface of dogs, cats, rabbits, and man and feed on tissue fluids

They do not burrow into the skin, but live in the keratin level

DERMANYSSUS

Dermanyssus, red mite or chicken mite (D.gallinae) are large and long-legged blood-sucking
ectoparasites of birds and human (become red after sucking blood)

Worldwide distribution

This mite spends time away from host:

- Nymph and adults attack birds at night

- After feeding, they hide in cracks away from daylight, where they mate and lay eggs

VARROA

Varroa is a genus of large mites associated with honey bees that cause varroosis/varroasis

Worldwide distribution with some exception (Australia...)

The biggest pest to honeybees worldwide due to both detrimental effect of mites and to vectored virus à colony
collapse disorder

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Honey bees strains selected for Varroa resistance through Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH)

Life cycle: (1) A female Varroa enters a larval cell of a honey bee and lay eggs; (2) eggs hatch, mites grow and emerge
from the cell with the emerging bee; (3) once outside the cell, Varroa mites are transferred to other bees through direct
contact

Important species: V. destructor (more pathogenic) and V. jacobsoni

TICKS

Ticks are obligate, blood feeding ectoparasites of mammals and birds

Are “large” (macroscopical) and live for long time feeding periodically taking large blood meals,
often with long intervals between meals

The salivary secretion of some ticks may cause toxicosis and paralysis

Capable of transmitting a number of pathogenic virus, bacteria, rickettsiae and protozoa

There are 2 main families:

- Ixodidae, or hard ticks is the most important. Have a rigid chitinous scutum which
covers all dorsal surface of adult males but only a small area in larvae, nymphs and
adult females to allow the abdomen to swell after feeding
- Argasidae or soft ticks, have no scutum

IXODIDAE OR HARD TICKS

The most important genera are:

- Ixodes (~250 sp.)

- Dermacentor
- Rhipicephalus (Boophilus)
- Hyalomma
- Amblyomma
- Haemaphysalis

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Large ticks (2-20mm) and dorsoventrally flattened

Most are of public health importance due to their vectorial capacity Temporary parasites with relatively short periods
on the host

During the passage through these stages, ticks have large blood meals, separated by free-living periods

Life cycle: simple; however, the number of hosts to which they attach during their life varies from 1 to 3. Hence, ticks
may be classified as:

- One-host ticks. All LC from larva to adult occurs on the one host
- Two-host ticks. Larva and nymph on 1 host and adult on another
- Three-host ticks. Each stage on a different host (the most common)

Adults feed and mate on the host during the summer; blood feeding typically takes 4 to 6 days, after which engorged
ticks drop off to either moult to the next stage or to lay (up to thousands) eggs in the case of adult females

Most hard ticks are relatively immobile: questing ticks wait at the tips of vegetation for an appropriate host to brush
past, instead of actively searching an host

Once on the host, ticks actively move to their preferred attachment sites, which may be highly specific to the species of
tick.

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Ixodes is the largest genus of the family. Worldwide. Lyme- disease vector. Are small ticks with long mouthparts

Dermacentor. Worldwide. Relatively big and with a characteristic pattern

Rhipicephalus . R.sanguineus (the brown dog tick) is the most widely distributed species of tick in the world

Hyalomma. Some species are vectors of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in humans, Babesia in ruminants

Boophilus. Are important vectors of Babesia mostly in tropical areas

ARGASIDAE OR SOFT TICKS

These ticks lack the hard scutum. The mouthparts are located on the underside of the
animal's body and is not visible. The most important genera are Argas and Ornithodoros

Multi-host Life Cycles

Unlike ixodid ticks, which stay attached to their hosts for extended time periods, argasid
ticks are adapted to feeding rapidly (minutes) during the night and promptly leaving the
host.

Are common in dry areas and tend to live in close proximity of the animal housing

Argas. Dorsoventrally flattened. Parasite birds, bats, reptiles, occasionally small mammals

Ornithodoros. The body has a wrinkled pattern like a bag. Most are in tropical or subtropical areas

Ornithodoros spp. are important as vectors of African Swine Fever (pigs and wild swine)

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CLASS PENTASTOMIDA

Genus Linguatula is the only important. Worldwide distribution (but low casuistry) Adults live in respiratory tract of
vertebrates and looks like an annelid worm

Life cycle:

(1) Adults live on nasal passages of dogs and cats (DH), in humans is very rare, are 2 cm long, striated

(2) Embrionated eggs are liberated via nasal mucus or feces and are ingested by herbivorous (IH), where larvae
hatch, migrate, moult to nymphal stage and encyst in internal organs

(3) DH is infected eating these cysts in organs of IH, nymphs migrate to nasal tract where moult to adults,
mate and lay eggs

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