LAUSR

The report describes a case of urogenital myiasis in a puppy, Canis lupus familiaris (Carnivora: Canidae) caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) in Calabria, southern Italy. This species is an obligatory agent of myiasis in human and other warm-blooded vertebrates. The puppy was healthy and was not living near farm animals, usual hosts of this flesh fly. An overview of cases of human and animal myiasis caused by W. magnifica in Italy and of data and specimens documented in entomology museum collections is also reported. Canine, urogenital myiasis, Wohlfahrtia magnifica Myiasis is an important parasitic disease caused by larvae of Diptera infesting vertebrates actively feeding on host tissues (Zumpt 1965). The term “wohlfahrtiosis” refers to myiasis caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner, 1862) (Insecta: Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Among the types of myiasis, wohlfahrtiosis is especially important not only because it may affect humans, but also because it usually induces serious damage due to the high number of deposited larvae and to their rapid growth. When attacking livestock, the parasite may cause heavy economic damages through loss of production and death (Hall and Farkas 2000). In Europe wohlfahrtiosis is an infestation reported in humans and domestic animals in several countries, especially in southern and eastern areas. Among domestic animals, those more frequently affected by wohlfahrtiosis are sheep and goats (Hall and Farkas 2000; Sotiraki and Hall 2012; Hall et al. 2016). This report describes a case of urogenital myiasis in a puppy that occurred in 2017 in Calabria, southern Italy, together with an overview of the documented cases of human and animal myiasis caused by W. magnifica reported in Italy, and of the catalogued data and specimens concerning this species in entomology museum collections.