First record of Lipoptena cervi (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) among goats in Bulgaria

Abstract

The investigation was conducted on 4,599 goats from eight breeds, naturally infected with ectoparasitic insects. The visit to the farms was paid after the owners alarmed for signs of considerable discomfort and itching among the animals. Two of examined flocks turned out to be infected with Lipoptena cervi (Linnaeus 1758) from the Hippoboscidae family, order Dipterа, also known as deer ked or deer fly. Complete morphological description of detected 34 flies was performed. The total body length of male specimens varied from 2.754 to 3.754 mm, and that of females: from 3.508 tо 4.500 mm. This is the first report about this insect species among goats in our country, which confirms the studies reporting expansion of its distribution area. The deer fly spread among this non-specific host incurs risk from emergence of new vector-borne diseases in men and animals