Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which infects almost all mammals and birds. Felids are definitive hosts that shed oocysts of T. gondii with their feces, which is then transmitted by oral ingestion. The study analyzed the prevalence of T. gondii infection in free-ranging cats on Tokunoshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture from 2017 to 2018, and found a seropositivity rate of 47.2% (59/125). This result indicated the importance of understanding and managing the behavioral patterns of felids, including the free-ranging cats. Toxoplasmosis is also an important food-borne parasitic disease due to its ability to be transmitted by consuming undercooked meat of infected animals. Considering that all developmental stages of T. gondii, including oocyst, tachyzoite, and cysts, are capable of infection, a One Health approach that considers the health maintenance of humans, animals, and the environment is important for the control of toxoplasmosis.

This study compared the number of individuals Musca domestica and Megaselia scalaris caught in multiple vertically placed traps to determine the effective placement of height of traps for monitoring. The number of M. domestica decreased significantly as the height of the light trap increased. The number of M. scalaris was largest in the highest trap when 2 or 3 traps were operated. There was no significant difference in the number of M. domestica and M. scalaris caught at different heights when only one light was turned on, which suggested that both species were attracted to the light at any height, regardless of their height preferences. These results indicate that when multiple traps are used for indoor monitoring of flies, the traps should be set at a uniform height.

This study was conducted to clarify larval movement of the tobacco beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, in whole wheat flour. Thirty adults emerged within 4 days were released in mixed sex on the surface of 3 cm deep whole wheat flour in a PVC case. The case was made of pipe cut into 6 slices to a width of 1 cm in advance and each slice was named R1 to R6 from a bottom side. After adults were allowed to lay eggs for 7 days, they were removed. At the same time, 2 cm more flour was added on the surface of 3 cm flour. Newly hatched larvae could move from oviposition site (R3) to 2 cm upper side or 3 cm down side in the flour. Three weeks later, the number of larvae in each slice was counted. Larvae were observed at all slices and the most larvae were significantly observed in R5 (30.9±2.8%). This result indicates that many larvae move from the oviposition site to upper side, when more flour is deposited on the oviposition site.

Pseudocollinella (Setiopacifrons) digna (Roháček, 1982) is recorded from Japan for the first time. Pseudocollinella (Setiopacifrons) simplicisternum Papp, 2016 is synonymized with P. digna. Two Japanese species of the genus are redescribed and illustrated for the comparison.

The female of Myorhina (Asiopierretia) kayaensis (Park, 1962) is described based on specimens collected in Shimane Pref., Honshu, Japan. The female of this Korean flesh fly has never been found and described. The description was made of three pairs of copulated specimens. The result of comparative anatomy of female genitalia suggests this species of Asiopierretia Rohdendorf has a distinct status among the generic groups such as Psuedothyrsocnema Rohdendorf and Bellieriomima Rohdendorf which usually has three pairs of postsutural dorsocentral bristles. Female genitalia of this species are also first described, anatomically analyzed and illustrated.

We collected ixodid ticks by flagging on vegetation in a natural forest located in the northern part of Okinawajima Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, during the period from June 2017 to June 2018. Flagging was performed at two sites by three persons for 1 hour per site. A total of 3,326 ticks (3,012 larvae, 285 nymphs, and 29 adults) collected were the following two genera and five species: Amblyomma geoemydae, Amblyomma testudinarium, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Haemaphysalis formosensis, and Haemaphysalis flava. The three predominant species: A. geoemydae, A. testudinarium, and H. hystricis differed in seasonal occurrence. A. geoemydae was not collected during January and February. A. testudinarium was collected nearly all seasons, and most of the individuals were nymphs. H. hystricis larvae were collected almost throughout the year, while the adults and nymphs were collected only during the period from January to August.

Cimex japonicus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) was collected from the birdlike noctule Nyctalus aviator, the Asian parti-colored bat Vespertilio sinensis, the fraternal Myotis Myotis frater, and the eastern water bat Myotis petax in Tokachi District, Hokkaido, Japan. In the present study, C. japonicus is newly recorded from Tokachi District.

This report describes human dermatitis that is caused by the bite of Ceratophyllus (Monopsyllus) indages indages (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) from the Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans orii in Hokkaido, Japan. This case represents the first description of human dermatitis caused by the bite of C. i. indages.