Rare case of Microsporidia co-infection in the grasshopper Dichroplus elongatus (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae)

PLISCHUK, S.; MARIOTTINI, Y.; LANGE, C. E.; CIGLIANO, M.M.

Protistology

Protozoological Society, Russian Academy of Science

Año: 2019 vol. 14 p. 32 - 37

Two Microsporidia species are known to parasitize Dichroplus elongatus in thePampas region of Argentina, allochthonous Paranosema locustae, a generalistpathogen of the adipose tissue of grasshoppers with efficient horizontal andvertical transmission routes, and autochthonous Liebermannia dichropluse, a D.elongatus-specific pathogen of the Malpighian tubules with effective transovarialtransmission but unknown horizontal transfer. Long-term monitoring of grasshoppercommunities for detection of microsporidioses revealed that it is not often that thesetwo pathogens co-exist in populations of D. elongatus, even in different individuals.We report the unusual detection for the first time of a co-infection by P. locustaeand L. dichroplusae in D. elongatus at a site in the southern Pampas. Given the owntraits that characterize both pathogens we presume that the most likely scenariofor the occurrence of the observed mixed infection is that the affected D. elongatusindividual was already infected by L. dichroplusae when it contracted infection byP. locustae. Unfortunately, our attempts to induce infections with L. dichroplusaein the laboratory through experimental inoculations have not produced positiveresults, preventing efforts towards testing our presumption through laboratorybioassays. However, Microsporidia natural mixed infections appear to be so rarethat we believe this case is worth reporting.