Article available at http://www.parasite-journal.org or http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/parasite/1997044383
COELOMOMYCES PSOROPHORAE VAR. PSOROPHORAE
(PHYCOMYCETES: BLASTOCLADIALES) I N AEDES CASPIUS
(DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) IN NORTH EASTERN ITALY
TAMPIERI M.P.*, CANCRINI G.**, FRANGIPANE DI R E G A L B O N O A.***, GALUPPI R.* & PIETROBELLI M.****
Résumé :
Summary :
Coelomomyces
psorophorae
var. psorophorae
is herein reported
for the first time in Italy in nine out of 2 , 2 0 7 adults of Aedes
caspius examined. In parasitized mosquitoes the abdomen was
packed with yellow-brown, ovoid resting sporangia with
morphological features (size, shape, wall ornamentation and
dehiscence slit), defined via light and electronmicroscopy,
allowing the classification of the parasite as C. psorophorae var.
COELOMOMYCES PSOROPHORAE VAR.
PSOROPHORAE
(PHYCOMYCETES: BLASTOCLADIALES) DANS AEDES CASPIUS (DIPTERA:
CULICIDAE) AU NORD-EST D'ITALIE.
Il s'agit de la première
exemplaires
des moustiques
2207
parasités
Aedes caspius examinés.
était rempli de sporanges
les traits morphologiques,
microscopie
KEY WORDS :
Coelomomyces psorophorae, Aedes caspius, Italy.
en Italie de Coelomomyces
parmi
ornementations
psorophorae.
observation
psorophorae var. psorophorae observé dans neuf
de la paroi
L'abdomen
jaune-brunâtres
voir les mesures,
et la ligne de déhiscence,
optique à lumière directe et en
électronique,
ovoïdes
nous ont permis
l'identification
dont
la forme, les
observés en
microscopie
du parasite
Coelomomyces psorophorae var. psorophorae.
MOTS CLÉS
INTRODUCTION
D
uring a study o f the biology a n d life cycle o f
Setaria labiate/papillosa,
a filarial nematode of
the bovine peritoneal cavity, 16,159 adult
mosquitoes were collected from 2 9 J u n e to 2 9 September 1994 on a farm in the Udine province (FriuliVenezia Giulia, N E Italy) (Pietrobelli et al., 1995 a; Pietrobelli et al., 1995 b; Cancrini et al., 1996). O f over
3,040 females identified a n d dissected, 2,207 were
classified as Aedes caspius. Among these, nine were
found having the h a e m o c o e l p a c k e d with yellowbrown, ovoid resting sporangia characteristic o f the
genus Coelomomyces.
This genus (family C o e l o m o -
* Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Patologia Animale,
Università di Bologna. Ozzano Emilia, Italy;
** Istituto di Parassitologia, Università di Roma « La Sapienza », Roma,
Italy.
*** Dipartimento di Scienze della Produzione Animale, Università di
Udine, Udine, Italy.
****Istituto di Patologia e Igiene Veterinaria, Università di Padova,
Legnare, Italy.
Correspondence : Maria Paola Tampieri.
Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Patologia Animale, Via
Tolara di Sopra, 50 - 40064 Ozzano Emilia-Bologna, Italy.
Tel. : 051/792002 - Fax 051/792039.
Parasite, 1997. 4. 383-385
: Coelomomyces psorophorae, Aedes caspius, Italie.
mycetaceae, order Blastocladiales) w a s established b y
Keilin ( 1 9 2 1 ) to include a fungus from the c o e l o m o f
a single larva o f Aedes (Stegomyia)
albopictus
collected in Malaya. T h e type s p e c i e s , C.
stegomyiae
Keilin, was described to have <· thick-walled, yellowish,
oval bodies that, along with coenocytic, irregular mycelium completely fill the b o d y cavity o f the larva ».
This paper reports, for the first time in Italy, the occurrence o f Coelomomyces
psorophorae
var.
psorophorae,
in adults o f Aedes
caspius.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
S
pecimens stored in either 7 0 % ethanol or in distilled water were dissected and mounted in lactophenol or lactophenol-cotton blue o n micros c o p e slides for examination b y phase contrast and
bright-field microscopy. Sporangial measurements were
obtained b y the use o f a drawing apparatus (camera
lucida) and stage micrometer.
Specimens were also prepared for scanning (SEM)
and transmission (ТЕМ) electronmicroscopy with rou­
tine techniques, and e x a m i n e d in an Autoscan Etec
(Siemens) at an accelerating voltage o f 20 kV for SEM
and with a Zeiss EM 109 electronmicroscope for ТЕМ.
Note de recherche
383
TAMPIERI M P . , CANCRINI G., FRANGIPANE DI R E G A L B O N O Α., GALUPPI R. & PIETROBELLI M.
RESULTS
R
esting sporangia are ellipsoid, frequently flat­
tened on o n e side, with color varying from
a m b e r to golden brown (Fig. 1). Sporangial
dimensions ( n = 5 5 ) are: length 7 0 - 1 2 0 pm, mean
94.1 pm (DS ± 9 . 2 ) ; width 3 8 - 7 8 pm, mean 55.8 pm
(DS ± 10.2). T h e wall is 2-5 pm thick and appears as
a two-layer wall: a h o m o g e n e o u s l y osmiophilic layer
(outer wall layer) transected b y lacunae, and a elec­
tron-translucent layer (inner wall layer) (Fig. 2 ) .
T h e surface o f the sporangial wall bears numerous ran­
domly arranged punctae (Figs. 3, 4 ) . T h e d e h i s c e n c e
slit is visible along o n e side o f sporangia, usually the
most c o n v e x (Figs. 3, 5 ) .
Fig. 3- — C. psorophorae
var. psorophorae.
Surface view of resting
sporangia. The dehiscence slit is visible along one side of the spo­
rangium. Bar = 10 μηι.
Fig. 4. — Scanning electron micrograph: sporangial surface ornateci
with numerous punctae. Bar = 2 pm.
Fig. 1. — Resting sporangia of C. psorophorae
liar = 10 pm.
var.
psorophorae.
Fig. 2. — Transmission electron micrograph: empty sporangium sho­
wing remaining two wall layers. Bar = 1 pm.
384
Fig. 5. — С. psorophorae var. psorophorae.
Scanning electron micro­
graphs of resting sporangium. The dehiscence slit is visible along
one side. Bar = 20 pm.
N o t e d e recherche
Parasite, 1997, 4. 393-385
COELOMOMYCES
PSOROPHORAE
IN AEDES CASP/US IN ITALY
DISCUSSION
REFERENCES
B
CANCRIM G., PIETROBELU M., FRANGIPANI-: DI REGALIÎONO Α. &
ased on observed morphology, characterized
by a s p o r a n g i a l surface o r n a m e n t e d with
simple punctae lacking internal differentiation,
and a d e h i s c e n c e slit bordered by punctae , which are
not along a longitudinal low ridge, this organism was
classified as belonging to the species C.
psoropborae.
T h r e e varieties are described in this species: var. pso­
ropborae.
from host occurring in fresh water, var.
halopbilus
and var. tasmaniensis,
from hosts occurring
in brackish water. All the parasitized adults o f Ae. caspius, w h o s e aquatic stages are also salt tolerant, w e r e
collected b e t w e e n 11 August and 28 S e p t e m b e r in an
area full o f irrigation canals, in habitats characterized
by both fresh and brackish water.
T h e two distinctive varieties from hosts occurring in
brackish water differ from our specimen: the first o n e ,
C. psoropborae
var. halopbilus.
on the basis o f its
thinner-walled resting sporangia and its smaller size;
the second, C. psoropborae
var. tasmaniensis,
is similar
in size, but with relatively thin-walled sporangia and
fine, more closely spaced punctae.
b a s e d on these peculiarities, our organism is classified
as C. psoropborae
var. psoropborae.
B e c a u s e o f high
variability in sporangial size, wall thickness and fre­
q u e n c y o f punctae, this variety was considered by
Couch & Bland ( 1 9 8 5 ) as a <· c o m p l e x ».
TAMPIERI M.P. T r a n s m i s s i o n o f
Setaria labiatopapillosa
the Udine Province (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, NE Italy).
sitologia.
in
Paras­
1996. 38, 110.
COLUZZI M. & Rioux J . A . P r i m o reperto in Italia di larve di
Anopbeles parassitate da funghi del genere
Coelomomyces
Keilin. Descrizione di Coelomomyces raffaelei n.sp. (Blastocladiales: C o e l o m o m y c e t a c e a e ) . Rivista di Malariologia,
1962, 41.
29-37.
Coelomomyces parasitic in
of Elisba Mitchell Sciences Society,
COUCH J . H . Revision o f the g e n u s
insect larvae. Journal
1945,
61,
COUCH J.N.
124-136.
& BLAND C E . T h e g e n u s Coelomomyces.
Academic
Press, Inc., London, 1 9 8 5 , 2 1 8 - 2 2 9 .
KEILIN D. O n
a new
type o f fungi:
Coelomomyces
stego-
myiae, n.g.. n. sp., parasitic in the body-cavity o f the larva
o f Stegomyla scutellaris
Culicidae). Parasitology,
Walker (Diptera, Nematocera,
1921, 13, 225-234.
PIETROBELLI M., FRANGIPANE D I
REGALBONO
Α., SEGATO L. & T A M -
PIERI M.P. Indagine sulla setariosi bovina in
Giulia. Parassitologia,
1995д. 37(1),
Friuli-Venezia
69-74.
PlETROBELLI M., FRANGIPANE DI REGALBONO Α., CANCRIM G. & T A M PIERI
M.P. Setariosi bovina (Nota I): trappola per la cattura
eli possibili ospiti intermedi di Setaria
Parassitologia,
1995b, 37(2-3),
249-253.
labiatopapillosa.
Reçu le 25 janvier 1997
A c c e p t é le 8 juillet 1997
Specimens o f C. psoropborae
var psoropborae,
originally
described by Couch ( 1 9 4 5 ) in a single larva o f Psorophora cibata from Georgia (USA), have b e e n collected
from many hosts, including Ae. caspias, and habitats
all over the world. In Italy, however, the only species
o f Coelomomyces
previously reported was C. raffaelei,
described as a new species by Coluzzi & Rioux ( 1 9 6 2 ) ,
in larvae o f Anopheles
claviger.
Coelomomyces
raf­
faelei differs from C. psoropborae
varieties on the basis
o f sporangial size (18-26 χ 36-49 pm for C.
raffaelei)
and surface ornamentation.
Therefore is the first report o f C. psoropborae
ropborae
in Italy.
var. pso­
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
T
he authors gratefully acknowledge Pr. Mario
Coluzzi for many helpful suggestions. They
also thank Dr. B. Dezfuli-Sayyaf for his support
provided in scanning electronmicroscopy and
Dr. L. Della Salda in transmission electronmicroscopy.
The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Jerry Gold­
smith for reviewing the english form. (This work was
supported by MURST 60 % grants.)
Parasite, 1997, 4, 383-385
Note de recherei
-385