Host-Parasite Associations between Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) and Chiggers (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) — A Review and Checklist

Parasitism, seasonality, and diversity of trombiculid mites (Trombidiformes: Parasitengona, Trombiculidae) infesting bats (Chiroptera) in Poland

“…The genus comprises 342 named species worldwide, of which 23 are associated with Chiroptera (Stekolnikov 2013 ). Of those, only L. russicum has been previously recorded from Central Europe (Zajkowska et al 2018 ). Our research indicated the presence of L. russicum on bats in Poland, and in addition, the presence of at least three other species within the same genus.…”

“…More than 400 nominal species of chiggers have been reported as parasites of Chiroptera worldwide (Zajkowska et al 2018 ; Bassini-Silva et al 2021 ; Kalúz et al 2021 ; Ševčík et al 2021 ), but only two of them— Leptotrombidium russicum (Oudemans) and Oudemansidium musca (Oudemans)—have been recorded from bats in Poland (Moniuszko and Mąkol 2014 ). A roughly similar representation of bat-associated chiggers has been noted in other Central European countries, e.g., the Czech Republic [ L. russicum and O. musca but also Oudemansidium komareki (Daniel & Dusbábek), Neotrombicula autumnalis (Shaw) and Neotrombicula japonica (Tanaka et al)], Slovakia ( L. russicum , O. musca , O. komareki ), and Hungary ( L. russicum ) (Zajkowska et al 2018 ). Both N. autumnalis and N. japonica have also been recorded from Poland, but the findings referred to associations of these species with rodents, soricomorphs, and in the case of N. japonica , also carnivores (Moniuszko and Mąkol 2014 ).…”

A new genus and species of bat chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) from Kenya

“…According to Zajkowska et al (2018), 397 species belonging to 72 genera of Trombiculidae were recorded on bat hosts and 18 genera of chiggers are considered as specific parasites of Chiroptera. Three of these 18 genera -Audytrombicula Vercammen- Grandjean, 1963, Tectumpilosum Feider, 1983, and Vergrandia Yunker & Jones, 1961 Two new monotypic genera of bat chiggers were described recently -Bramkeria Bassini-Silva, Jacinavicius & Ochoa, 2021 and Batmanacarus Bassini-Silva, Jacinavicius & Ochoa, 2021.…”

Contribution to the fauna of chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) parasitizing bats in Spain

“…Many of them were recorded on many host species belonging to different classes, while some genera and species are specific parasites of amphibians, birds, reptiles or bats (Traub & Wisseman 1968; Goff 1979; Kudryashova 1998. Zajkowska et al (2018) summarized all records of chigger mite species from bat hosts. Shortly thereafter, Stekolnikov & Quetglas (2019) recorded bat chiggers from Spain for the first time, reporting Oudemansidium komareki (Daniel & Dusbábek, 1959) from Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl) in Menorca and Trisetica knighti (Radford, 1954) from Plecotus austriacus (Fischer) in Formentera (Balearic Islands).…”

“…Shortly thereafter, Stekolnikov & Quetglas (2019) recorded bat chiggers from Spain for the first time, reporting Oudemansidium komareki (Daniel & Dusbábek, 1959) from Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl) in Menorca and Trisetica knighti (Radford, 1954) from Plecotus austriacus (Fischer) in Formentera (Balearic Islands). The checklist published by Zajkowska et al (2018) erroneously recorded the American species Speleocola secunda Brennan & Jones, 1960 from Spain.…”