Ecology of mites (Acarina) on small mammals (Eulipotyphla, Rodentia) in Podunajská nížina plain

Abstract

This study deals with the species distribution and structure of mite communities living in the fur of small mammals. Mesostigmatic mites (Acarina: Mesostigmata) of several small mammal species were studied at several sites of Slovakia situated in the Podunajská nížina lowland. The aims deal with ecological evaluation of mesostigmatic mites and their small mammal hosts. The research was done from 2005 to 2007. Several small mammal species were caught at 16 sites in the research area. These represent 13 types of biotopes. On the captured small mammals we recorded 3,141 individuals of mesostigmatic mites (7 families and 22 species). The dominance and the diversity of the recorded mites were analysed. Mites being interpreted as the variable one were evaluated by cluster analysis and multifactor analysis (detrended correspondence analysis, principal components analysis, redundancy analysis). Small terrestrial mammals as hosts of mites represent "holders" of environmental factors, in the analysis they are being evaluated as explanatory variable mainly. They transform direct impact of the environment and for that reason the ecological evaluation of mites is specific comparing to other taxonomical and ecological groups of animals.

Divergence time of mites of the family Laelapidae based on mitochondrial barcoding region

“…The mites of the family Laelapidae found on the bodies of small rodents are generally considered to be a medically important group of arthropods, some of which are considered potential vectors of zoonoses diseases. For example, Laelaps jettmari, Eulaelaps stabularis, and Haemolaelaps glasgowiare, which carry the renal syndrome hemorrhagic fever virus (HFRS) [8][9][10][11]. There are also species of the family Laelapidae that are only distributed in certain areas, such as species of the genus Tropilaelaps, an ectoparasite of honeybees, which so far exists only in the Asian continent.…”

Phylogeography of the parasitic mite Laelaps agilis in Western Palearctic shows lineages lacking host specificity but possessing different demographic histories

“…Generally, Laelaps mites are opportunistic feeders capable of feeding on a wide range of food items, including ectoparasites, small nest arthropods, and scabs on the skin of the hosts [ 25 ]. They may also feed directly from the hosts by creating a crater on the hosts’ skin or feed on their body fluids such as lachrymal secretions or blood [ 26 , 27 ]. Laelaps mites are ecologically diversified; some of them occur permanently on rodent hosts while others as facultative parasites spend only part of their life cycle in the rodent fur and the rest in their nests [ 19 , 25 , 28 ].…”

Host-ectoparasite associations; the role of host traits, season and habitat on parasitism interactions of the rodents of northeastern Iran

“…Climate change, urbanization, agriculture, deforestation, habitat degradation and other similar changes in landscape use and species richness leading to biodiversity loss which may increase the abundance of species that thrive in urban areas and the risk of contact with zoonotic pathogens for humans [4]. In other words, the abundance of ectoparasites strongly depends on the abundance of particular rodent species and available host community [5].…”