Larval Hannemania sp. Infestations of Spea spp. in the Southern High Plains, Texas, USA

Abstract

ABSTRACT:We describe a case history of larval Hannemania sp. (Acari: Trombiculidae) infestations in two spadefoot toads (Spea spp. Anura: Pelobatidae) captured from playa wetlands in the Southern High Plains, Texas. Hannemania sp. larvae were superficially attached to the skin, not encysted, and dermal changes were not observed. Gross field examinations revealed a presumed occurrence of Hannemania sp. in Spea spp. at four of 24 wetlands in 2003 and 2004. Although other species of amphibians were present (Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium, Bufo cognatus, Bufo debilis insidior, Pseudacris clarkii, Gastrophryne olivacea, Rana blairi, Scaphiopus couchii), investigators did not observe infestations in these species. Future research should focus on identifying this Hannemania to species level and determining if it influences Spea spp. survival.

Prevalence of endoparasitic mites on four West African leaf‐litter frogs depends on habitat humidity

“…Parasitism of frogs by mites has been documented in all major biomes, in which anurans are present (Alvarado‐Rybak et al., ; Anthony et al., ; Attademo et al., ; Biolé et al., ; Diaz‐Paez et al., ; Guerrero & And Yánez‐Muñoz, ; Hatano, Gettinger, Van Sluys, & Rocha, ; Mertins, Torrence, & Sterner, ; Quinzio & Goldberg, ; Sladky, Norton, & Loomis, ; Torrence, Smith, & McMurry, ; Wohltmann, Köhler, & Martin, ). However, in Africa, frog mites have so far only been reported from West Africa (Bénin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone; Spieler & Linsenmair, ; Wohltmann et al., and MOR unpub.…”