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. 2025 May 27;18(1):193.
doi: 10.1186/s13071-025-06830-y.

First molecular confirmation of the presence of Hippobosca longipennis (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) and infestation of sheltered dogs in Morocco

Maria Bourquia  1 , Abderrahmane Zahri  2 , Mehdi Ahlamine  2 , Thomas Balenghien  3   4 , Paula Meyer  5 , Felix Gregor Sauer  5 , Renke Lühken  6
Affiliations

First molecular confirmation of the presence of Hippobosca longipennis (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) and infestation of sheltered dogs in Morocco

Maria Bourquia et al. Parasit Vectors. .

Abstract

Background: Hippobosca longipennis (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) is an obligate hematophagous ectoparasite that infests a wide range of vertebrate hosts across Africa, Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is a potential vector of Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) and serves as a phoretic host for Cheyletiella yasguri (Acari: Cheyletiellidae), a known causative agent of dermatitis in both dogs and humans. Due to the lack of data on hippoboscids in Morocco, this study aimed to investigate the louse fly fauna of sheltered dogs in the country as well as the filarial nematodes they may harbor.

Methods: Between April and November 2022, 230 sheltered dogs from four cities in Central Morocco were randomly examined as part of an entomological and epidemiological study on arthropod vectors and canine vector-borne pathogens. All visible louse flies on the domestic dogs were randomly collected and then morphologically and molecularly identified. DNA was subsequently extracted for screening of filarial nematodes.

Results: A total of 30 dogs (13.1%) were infested with 35 H. longipennis louse flies, consisting of 33 adults (10 males, 19 non-gravid females, and four gravid females) and two larvae. Two representative specimens were confirmed through DNA barcoding of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene. All fly pools (gravid females, non-gravid females, males, and larvae) tested negative for filarial nematodes in the 12S rRNA PCR.

Conclusions: This study represents the first morphological and molecular characterization of H. longipennis flies in Morocco. Further national-scale investigations are needed to address gaps in the knowledge of unrecorded hippoboscid species and the pathogens of medical and veterinary importance that they may carry.

Keywords: Hippobosca longipennis; Dog louse fly; Dogs; Molecular barcoding; Morocco; Nematodes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted prior to the establishment of the first national committee on animal research and ethics (CESASPV), which is responsible for evaluating ethics in local projects. As a result, the work did not undergo review by this committee. However, as a veterinary school, our institution ensures that all animal research conducted, including the aforementioned study, complies with the guidelines set by the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine in Rabat, as well as the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture. These standards align with international ethical guidelines, including the European Union Directive 2010/63/EU and the ARRIVE (Animal Research Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Satellite images of the four shelters (DS) along with the number of dogs at each location
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Moroccan map highlighting the localization of the four dog shelters (DS)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Hippobosca longipennis, the dog louse fly. A Dorsal view of winged gravid female (1 scutellum is white). B Ventral view of a winged gravid female with characteristic triangular brown spots on the ventral view of the head (arrows). C Dorsal view of the head (1: sharp and triangular apical lobes of the fronto-clypeus with straight internal margins). D Foreleg (1: fore, mid, and hind part of the femur covered by few long and short setae; 2: a few short setae characterize the fore and mid part of the tibia; 3: hind tibia with bristle-like long setae; 4: tarsal claws). E Tarsal segment covered by a row of short setae with longer tarsus 5 (arrow) compared to tarsus 1, 2, 3, and 4. F Tarsal claws (1: asymmetrical claw bifurcation). G Left wing of a male, developed and comprising pale veins with dark spots (arrows). H Third-stage larva (L3) (1: non-segmented structure with a dark stigmatic plate on the posterior side)
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