Anatomy of Drymaeus palliolum (Mollusca: Stylommatophora: Bulimulidae) parasitized by a Sarcophagidae larva (Diptera)

Five specimens of the gastropod Drymaeus palliolum (A.Frussac, 1821), family Bulimulidae Tryon, 1867, were hand-collected in Tijuca National Park in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.These specimens were found to be parasitized by dipteran larvae of the genus Lepidodexia Brauer & von Bergenstamm, 1891, family Sarcophagidae Macquart, 1834.Lepidodexia malacophaga (Lopes, 1983) was originally described from a larva parasitizing a gastropod collected in the same park.The effects of the larval activity inside the gastropod body are discussed and compared to previous records.Apart from the exit hole formed by the larvae in the gastropod body wall during the process of fixation in alcohol, no internal tissue damage was detected.This finding suggests that the larvae inside fed on the hemolymph.Furthermore, this report also presents a case of superparasitism.