{
  "abstract": "Blowflies of the genus Lucilia (Insecta: Diptera: Calliphoridae) are important in forensic science, medical research, and agriculture, particularly due to their role as facultative ectoparasites of domesticated sheep. The Australian sheep blowfly, L. cuprina dorsalis, is a primary causative agent of cutaneous myiasis, leading to substantial economic losses to the wool industry. In contrast, the closely related subspecies L. cuprina cuprina does not induce myiasis in sheep, but functions as a necrophagous subspecies in urban regions of Australia. Differences in the physiology, behavior, and host interactions of these subspecies might be attributed to their bacterial community structures as demonstrated in other blowfly species. However, our understanding of the bacterial communities associated with these flies is limited. This study aimed to characterize the microbiomes of two geographically distinct subspecies of L. cuprina-L. c. dorsalis (rural) and L. c. cuprina (urban) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The findings indicate that, while both subspecies harbor broadly similar microbial compositions, their respective urban and rural environments influence the prevalence of specific bacterial genera. The bacterial communities of these flies were predominantly composed of members of the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. The genus Ignatzschineria was highly abundant in L. c. dorsalis, whereas Pseudomonas was more prevalent in L. c. cuprina, highlighting distinct microbial compositions between the two subspecies. These findings provide fundamental insights into the microbial composition of Lucilia species, contributing to a broader understanding of their ecological and biological roles, with potential applications in forensic entomology, medical research, and agricultural pest management. KEY POINTS: • The microbial communities of Lucilia cuprina dorsalis and Lucilia cuprina cuprina have a broadly similar composition, but the abundance of particular bacterial genera is notably different. • Proteobacteria is the most abundant phylum in both subspecies. • The genus Ignatzschineria is notably abundant in Lucilia cuprina dorsalis, while Pseudomonas is predominant in Lucilia cuprina cuprina, emphasizing differences between the microbial community members between these subspecies.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. shilpa.kapoor@unimelb.edu.au.",
    "Infection and Global Health, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. shilpa.kapoor@unimelb.edu.au.",
    "Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. shilpa.kapoor@unimelb.edu.au.",
    "Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.",
    "School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia.",
    "Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.",
    "Infection and Global Health, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.",
    "Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. clare.anstead@unimelb.edu.au."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 12,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Shilpa Kapoor",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0022-8027"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Ying Ting Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Madison Bone"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Aaron R Jex"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Simon Baxter"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Andrew P A Oxley"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Michelle L Harvey"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Philip Batterham"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Robin B Gasser"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Vernon M Bowles"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Trent Perry"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Clare A Anstead"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/29a90jf7kjh42.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1007/s00253-026-13969-w",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13719920",
  "id": "29a90jf7kjh42",
  "issns": [
    "0175-7598",
    "1432-0614"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42957890",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1109|Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7172352259",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13719920?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13719920",
  "pmid": "42957890",
  "published": "2026-08-03",
  "publisher": "Springer",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/29a90jf7kjh42.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-01T00:20:47Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42957890",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42957890"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:23:48Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13719920",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-026-13969-w"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1109|Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies",
      "subfield": "zoology-behaviour"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Comparative microbiome analysis of parasitic and necrophagous subspecies of Lucilia cuprina.",
  "title_text": "Comparative microbiome analysis of parasitic and necrophagous subspecies of Lucilia cuprina.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-03T12:20:53Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/29a90jf7kjh42",
  "venue": "Applied microbiology and biotechnology",
  "versions": []
}