Where there are moose (Alces alces) in Eurasia, there are moose nose botflies: First morphological and molecular identification of Cephenemyia ulrichii (Brauer, 1862) in Kazakhstan

In recent years, the Eurasian moose (Alces alces) population in Kazakhstan has increased significantly. According to 2024 estimates, there are now approximately 8960 individuals, primarily in the northern and eastern regions of the country. However, there is limited information on moose parasites in Kazakhstan. Four of seven moose hunted in the Akmola and Kostanay provinces in July 2023 and May 2024 were found to be infested with 8–12 dipterous fly larvae in the nasopharynx. The larvae were morphologically identified as Cephenemyia ulrichii (Oestridae: Oestrinae) third-instar larvae. Molecular characterization through polymerase chain reaction amplification and partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene from the larvae showed that it was 99 % identical to a reference C. ulrichii isolate from Sweden. The gene sequences of the Kazakh isolates clustered in a clade with the reference sample, distinct from other Cephenemyia species. This is the first report of C. ulrichii nasopharyngeal myiasis in moose in Kazakhstan, marking the first such report in Central Asia and expanding the known geographical range of this parasite.