Simple Summary
Scale mites of the genus Geckobia are parasitic mites that spend their entire life on gecko lizards, hiding in protected spots on the host’s body (e.g., beneath the scales, in axillas, and between claws or in ear cavities). These mites are highly specialized and typically found only on specific gecko species. We examined over 1100 preserved gecko specimens from an Israeli museum, collected between 1965 and 1991, to understand how environmental conditions affect these mite populations across the country’s climate gradient from Mediterranean coastal areas to desert regions. Only 37 geckos were infected, showing that these parasites are much rarer in dry environments compared to tropical regions, where similar mites can infect up to 100% of geckos. We discovered that mites were nearly four times more common in Mediterranean climate zones than in desert areas and that they show different seasonal activity patterns depending on local climate conditions. We also discovered two new mite species and documented a previously unknown “double skin plug” that blocks gecko ear openings, creating humid conditions that help mites survive in desert climates. This research helps us understand how climate change might affect these parasite–host relationships and provides important baseline data for future studies of ecosystem changes in arid regions.
Abstract
Scale mites of the genus Geckobia (Pterygosomatidae) are highly specialized permanent parasites of geckos, but their diversity and ecology in arid environments remain poorly understood. We examined 1135 museum specimens of Ptyodactylus geckos collected from 1965 to 1991 across Israel and the West Bank’s Mediterranean–desert climate gradient to investigate environmental effects on Geckobia mite distributions and population structure. We analyzed prevalence, intensity, population structure, and seasonal patterns across three climate zones using standard parasitological methods and Köppen–Geiger climate classification. We describe two new species, Geckobia inermis sp. nov. and G. parva sp. nov., from Ptyodactylus puiseuxi and provide the first descriptions of previously unknown life stages: the male and nymphchrysalis of G. squameum and the imagochrysalis and larva of G. bochkovi. We report P. oudrii as a new host for G. synthesys and address taxonomic confusion regarding northern Israeli host populations following recent phylogenetic revisions of Ptyodactylus. Only 37 hosts were infected (3.26% prevalence), with a significant female bias in G. squameum populations. Most mites (94.6%) concentrated in the tympanum, where we documented a “double skin plug”, closing the ear opening and creating favorable microenvironments for mite survival. The results demonstrate climate as the primary factor structuring mite distributions: environmental filtering showed systematic prevalence decline from Mediterranean zones (4.3%) to desert-edge areas (1.1%), representing a 3.9-fold gradient that exceeded host species effects by 5.2-fold. Populations exhibited phenological plasticity, with Mediterranean mites peaking in winter versus spring activity in semi-arid zones. These findings reveal how climate constrains ectoparasite persistence in arid systems, with implications for understanding parasite responses to environmental change.