Comparative microbiome analysis of parasitic and necrophagous subspecies of Lucilia cuprina.
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. [email protected].
- 2Infection and Global Health, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. [email protected].
- 3Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. [email protected].
- 4Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- 5School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia.
- 6Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- 7Infection and Global Health, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- 8Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. [email protected].
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.
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BibTeX
@article{kapoor2026comparative,
title = {{Comparative microbiome analysis of parasitic and necrophagous subspecies of Lucilia cuprina.}},
author = {Shilpa Kapoor and Ying Ting Yang and Madison Bone and Aaron R Jex and Simon Baxter and Andrew P A Oxley and Michelle L Harvey and Philip Batterham and Robin B Gasser and Vernon M Bowles and Trent Perry and Clare A Anstead},
journal = {Applied microbiology and biotechnology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1007/s00253-026-13969-w},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42957890},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparative microbiome analysis of parasitic and necrophagous subspecies of Lucilia cuprina.
AU - Shilpa Kapoor
AU - Ying Ting Yang
AU - Madison Bone
AU - Aaron R Jex
AU - Simon Baxter
AU - Andrew P A Oxley
AU - Michelle L Harvey
AU - Philip Batterham
AU - Robin B Gasser
AU - Vernon M Bowles
AU - Trent Perry
AU - Clare A Anstead
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/03
JO - Applied microbiology and biotechnology
DO - 10.1007/s00253-026-13969-w
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42957890
AB - 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.
SN - 0175-7598
SN - 1432-0614
ER -