Parasitological and entomological investigation to monitor parasitic and pest dispersion in the province of AP

The experimental activity I started within my doctoral course at the UNICAM centre of San Benedetto del Tronto dealt with two species, Anisakis pegreffii and Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, infesting fishes and palms respectively, thus representing serious problems to human health and palms as environmental heritage of all Mediterranean regions. Researches were conducted in collaboration with research groups of the Laboratories of Parasitology and of Biochemistry at our University and, regarding A. pegreffii, with the Laboratory of Parasitology at Sapienza University of Rome. First of all, the aim of the activity was to conduct an epidemiological study in order to assess anisakid infestation levels in commonly commercialized fishes such as anchovies, blackspot seabreams and horse mackerels. A part of this work was showed at the XXVII Congresso Nazionale SoIPa and will be submitted for publication. Then I focused on the biological indicator role of Anisakis through in vitro experiments on larvae: up to now, I set up and developed anisakid growth from L3 to a preadult stage and further researches will be organized to test some xenobiotic substances usually present in Adriatic sea. Regarding R. ferrugineus, the purpose was to obtain quantitative information about the proceed of infestation in San Benedetto area. The activity was conducted by dott. Luca Bracchetti and consisted of the monitor of the insect spatial diffusion through the mapping of all palms in our territory by the use of Geographic Informative System. At the same time I contributed to the definition of the microbial community related to R. ferrugineus in order to verify a possible occurrence of bacterial symbionts useful for ''paratransgenic'' control as alternative strategy to the classical biological one.