Drivers of patterns of ectoparasitism in rodents in patchy Mojave Desert wetlands were investigated. A total of 1,571 ectoparasites in Mesostigmata, Trombidiformes, Siphonaptera and Ixodida were ...collected from 341 rodents (Microtus californicus scirpensis, Mus musculus, Reithrodontomys megalotis, Peromyscus eremicus, and Neotoma lepida) at eleven marshes. Trombiculids accounted for 82.5% of mites, followed by the mesostigmatid Ornithonyssus bacoti (17.5%), with chiggers predominating on voles and harvest mice. There were at least three genera of chiggers (Eutrombicula alfreddugesi, Euschoengastia sp. novel, and Blankaartia sp. novel). Fleas included Orchopeas leucopus (90.3% of all fleas) and O. sexdentatus (9.7%), and ticks were the novel endemic Ixodes mojavensis (82.1% of ticks) and Dermacentor similis (17.9%). On all hosts and at all marshes, coverage-based rarefaction sampling was over 96%, indicating coverage sufficient for analysis. Dissimilarities in ectoparasite community structure were driven mainly by chiggers, I. mojavensis and O. leucopus. Northern marshes were dominated by chiggers; central marshes by I. mojavensis; and southern marshes by O. leucopus. Primary determinants of ectoparasite community structure were host species, patch size, and parasite interspecific interactions. Host species richness and environmental factors such as patch distance and water and plant availability were not significantly associated with patterns of ectoparasitism. There were nine (60%) significant negative pairwise associations between ectoparasite taxa and no significant positive relationships. Ixodes mojavensis had the highest number of negative associations (with five other species), followed by chiggers and O. bacoti with two negative associations each. The study area is among the most arid in North America and supports numerous rare and endemic species in increasingly isolated wetland habitat patches; knowledge of ectoparasite ecology in this region identifies potential ectoparasite vectors, and provides information needed to design and implement programs to manage vector-borne diseases for purposes of wildlife conservation.
Ornithonyssus bursa
, known as the “tropical fowl mite,” is a hematophagous mite of domestic and wild birds, which occasionally bites humans. Accidental bites on humans occur mainly when abandoned ...bird nests are close to homes or when people are handling parasitized birds. In the present study, we describe five case reports of bites on humans and new records of localities for this species. Based on the material examined, we provide morphological and molecular characterizations for this species herein.
Trinidad and Tobago, a neotropical country, has 38 reported chigger species. Of these species, 18 were parasitizing bats. Here, we describe a new genus and species parasitizing a ghost-faced bat in ...this country.
Chigger mites are parasites of terrestrial vertebrates, including humans. Here, we describe two new species belonging to the American genera Colicus Brennan and Parasecia Loomis. Both species were ...described on the base of museum specimens originated from Minas Gerais State, Brazil, Colicus barrosbattestiae n. sp. parasitizing the rodent, Oligoryzomys fornesi and Parasecia jacinaviciusi n. sp. parasitizing the marsupial, Monodelphis domestica.
Reports of mites parasitizing arthropods are common worldwide. However, there hasn't been a single record of mite parasitism by any Erythraeidae species on the millipede Polyxenidae in Brazil. To ...address this gap, we present a record of the species Charletonia rocciai Treat & Flechtmann, 1979 (Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae), parasitizing a specimen of this millipede family in the country.
A checklist of the family Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae is presented, containing 63 species in 30 genera of chiggers from 80 different hosts and 146 localities in Brazil. The type locality and ...depository are provided, including new locality and host records for the country.
Chigger mites are ectoparasites of terrestrial vertebrates and can even bite humans, causing lesions on their skins. The co-parasitism is gradually being reported for this family, and recent studies ...have highlighted this relationship worldwide. In Brazil, only some records of chigger species co-parasitizing rodents and lizards in the Pernambuco and Piauí States were done. The present study reports six co-parasitism situations in cricetid rodents collected in the Morro Grande Forest Reserve, Cotia Municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil.
We report on the presence of scale mites (Trombidiformes: Pterygosomatidae) parasitizing three species of lizards in Timor-Leste. Geckobia bataviensis Vitzthum, 1926 was found associated with the ...Common House Gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836, and the Indopacific Tree Gecko, Hemiphyllodactylus typus Bleeker, 1860, whereas Pterygosoma dracoensis Jack, 1962 was found on the patagia of a Timor Flying Dragon, Draco timoriensis Kuhl, 1820. The association of G. bataviensis with H. frenatus was well documented previously, but this is the first properly documented record of this mite for Timor-Leste. Our report of G. bataviensis on H. typus is the first association of this mite with this gecko. This is the second report of P. dracoensis on D. timoriensis and the first for Timor-Leste.
ABSTRACT Macronyssid mites are ectoparasites of terrestrial vertebrates. We slide-mounted and re-examined mite material collected in a 1987-1989 expedition to Maracá Ecological Station, Roraima ...State, Brazil. The specimens were identified as Acanthonyssus proechimys Yunker and Saunders (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae), which were collected parasitizing a South American spiny rat, Proechimys sp. This represents the first record of Acanthonyssus in Brazil.
RESUMO Os ácaros macronissídeos são ectoparasitas de vertebrados terrestres. Nós montamos e reexaminamos material de ácaros coletado em uma expedição entre 1987-1989 à Estação Ecológica de Maracá, Estado de Roraima, Brasil. Os espécimes foram identificados como Acanthonyssus proechimys Yunker e Saunders (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae), que haviam sido coletados parasitando um echimídeo sul-americano, Proechimys sp. Este é o primeiro registro de Acanthonyssus no Brasil.
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