Parasitic and Pathogenic Mites in Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 12393

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: acarology; parasitology; taxonomy; host–parasite interactions; communities of vertebrate parasites; parasitic mites; skin mites; ectoparasites; medical and veterinary parasitology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: animal parasitology; taxonomy; diversity and ecology of parasites; alien and invasive parasites; applied parasitology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mites are common parasites in various animal groups—both vertebrates and invertebrates. They exhibit highly diverse forms of parasitism, ranging from specialists to generalists, and from external parasites (ectoparasites) and skin parasites to internal parasites (endoparasites). Unfortunately, comparatively little is known regarding their species diversity, life cycles, phylogenetic relations, ecological preferences, or geographical spread. In addition, many mites are pathogenic to their hosts, affecting their condition or adaptability. To understand the full role and significance of parasitic and pathogenic mites, their importance for the host, and the functioning of the host–parasite interaction, further research into the taxonomy, systematics, phylogeny, ecology, or ethology of mites is necessary. It is also important to understand the process of adaptation to parasitism, the occurrence and dynamics of the populations of particular species, their coexistence with other parasites, and the functioning of the parasite communities in the host. Such knowledge is key to understanding the patterns and mechanisms of parasitic mite infestation. Furthermore, in the case of mites of medical and veterinary importance, it will also enable more accurate identification and diagnosis, in addition to more effective treatment and prevention.

This Special Issue of "Parasitic and Pathogenic Mites in Animals" will present existing knowledge in the field of the taxonomy, biology, and ecology of parasitic and pathogenic mites, with an indication of current problems and prospects for the development of future research trends.

Dr. Joanna N. Izdebska
Dr. Leszek Rolbiecki
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1223 KiB  
Article
The Occurrence of Skin Mites from the Demodecidae and Psorergatidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Families in Bats, with a Description of a New Species and New Records
by Karolina Cierocka, Joanna N. Izdebska, Leszek Rolbiecki and Mateusz Ciechanowski
Animals 2022, 12(7), 875; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070875 - 30 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2142
Abstract
The bat skin mites from the closely-related Demodecidae and Psorergatidae families occur synhospitally, populating the same host species and perhaps neighboring microhabitats. However, data on their occurrence and parasitism are fragmentary and dispersed. Thus far, 27 Demodecidae and 18 Psorergatidae species have been [...] Read more.
The bat skin mites from the closely-related Demodecidae and Psorergatidae families occur synhospitally, populating the same host species and perhaps neighboring microhabitats. However, data on their occurrence and parasitism are fragmentary and dispersed. Thus far, 27 Demodecidae and 18 Psorergatidae species have been described, but the coexistence of mites from both families was only demonstrated in six species of bats. This article presents a description of Demodex pusillus sp. nov. from Nyctalus noctula, including a new host record (first observation of demodecid mites in Nyctalus) and a new record concerning the occurrence of Psorergatoides kerivoluae in Plecotus auritus. It also includes an updated global checklist of the occurrence of Demodecidae and Psorergatidae in Chiroptera, including data on their records/distribution and location in their hosts. In both studied families, the mites exhibit preferences, and even topographic specificity, colonizing different microhabitats in the host, including the eye region (e.g., Meibomian glands of the eyes, corneal surface and eyelid vault), wing membranes and hairy skin on the body. Such colonization of separate microhabitats enables different species to co-occur within the same host, while the total number of parasites determines the level of parasite load, with higher levels being associated with the incidence of disease symptoms. It is worth mentioning that Demodex pusillus sp. nov. is the smallest known representative of the Demodecidae family and one of the smallest animals (70–80 micrometers in length). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasitic and Pathogenic Mites in Animals)
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12 pages, 1656 KiB  
Article
The Occurrence of Quill Mites (Arachnida: Acariformes: Syringophilidae) on Bee-Eaters (Aves: Coraciiformes: Meropidae: Merops) of Two Sister Clades
by Maciej Skoracki, Jakub Z. Kosicki, Bozena Sikora, Till Töpfer, Jan Hušek, Markus Unsöld and Martin Hromada
Animals 2021, 11(12), 3500; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11123500 - 8 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2977
Abstract
We studied the quill mite fauna of the family Syringophilidae, associated with bee-eaters. We examined 273 bird specimens belonging to nine closely related species of the genus Merops, representing two phylogenetic sister clades of a monophyletic group. Our examination reveals the presence [...] Read more.
We studied the quill mite fauna of the family Syringophilidae, associated with bee-eaters. We examined 273 bird specimens belonging to nine closely related species of the genus Merops, representing two phylogenetic sister clades of a monophyletic group. Our examination reveals the presence of two species of the genus Peristerophila, as follows: (1) a new species Peristerophila mayri sp. n. from Merops viridis in the Philippines, M. leschenaulti in Nepal and Sri Lanka, and M. orientalis in Sri Lanka; and (2) P. meropis from M. superciliosus in Tanzania and Egypt, M. persicus in Sudan, Tanzania, Liberia, Senegal, Kenya, and D.R. Congo, M. ornatus in Papua New Guinea, M. philippinus in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, and M. americanus in the Philippines. The prevalence of host infestations by syringophilid mites varied from 3.1 to 38.2%. The distribution of syringophilid mites corresponds with the sister clade phylogenetic relationships of the hosts, except for P. meropis associated with Merops americanus. Possible hypotheses for the host lineage shift are proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasitic and Pathogenic Mites in Animals)
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29 pages, 3505 KiB  
Article
Global Studies of the Host-Parasite Relationships between Ectoparasitic Mites of the Family Syringophilidae and Birds of the Order Columbiformes
by Katarzyna Kaszewska-Gilas, Jakub Ziemowit Kosicki, Martin Hromada and Maciej Skoracki
Animals 2021, 11(12), 3392; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11123392 - 27 Nov 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2992
Abstract
The quill mites belonging to the family Syringophilidae (Acari: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) are obligate ectoparasites of birds. They inhabit different types of the quills, where they spend their whole life cycle. In this paper, we conducted a global study of syringophilid mites associated with [...] Read more.
The quill mites belonging to the family Syringophilidae (Acari: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) are obligate ectoparasites of birds. They inhabit different types of the quills, where they spend their whole life cycle. In this paper, we conducted a global study of syringophilid mites associated with columbiform birds. We examined 772 pigeon and dove individuals belonging to 112 species (35% world fauna) from all zoogeographical regions (except Madagascan) where Columbiformes occur. We measured the prevalence (IP) and the confidence interval (CI) for all infested host species. IP ranges between 4.2 and 66.7 (CI 0.2–100). We applied a bipartite analysis to determine host–parasite interaction, network indices, and host specificity on species and whole network levels. The Syringophilidae–Columbiformes network was composed of 25 mite species and 65 host species. The bipartite network was characterized by a high network level specialization H2′ = 0.93, high nestedness N = 0.908, connectance C = 0.90, and high modularity Q = 0.83, with 20 modules. Moreover, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the quill mites associated with columbiform birds on the generic level. Analysis shows two distinct clades: Meitingsunes + Psittaciphilus, and Peristerophila + Terratosyringophilus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasitic and Pathogenic Mites in Animals)
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10 pages, 1236 KiB  
Article
Demodex crocidurae, a New Demodecid Mite (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Parasitizing the Lesser White-Toothed Shrew and a Redescription of Demodex talpae from European Mole with Data on Parasitism in Soricomorpha
by Karolina Cierocka, Joanna N. Izdebska and Leszek Rolbiecki
Animals 2021, 11(9), 2712; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11092712 - 17 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2811
Abstract
Only six parasitic species of Demodecidae mite have thus far been described from the Soricomorpha, these being associated with the common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758, and the Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus Cabrera, 1907 (two species from each host), and with the [...] Read more.
Only six parasitic species of Demodecidae mite have thus far been described from the Soricomorpha, these being associated with the common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758, and the Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus Cabrera, 1907 (two species from each host), and with the lesser white-toothed shrew Crocidura suaveolens (Pallas, 1811) and the European mole Talpa europaea Linnaeus, 1758 (one from each host species). Presently, Demodex crocidurae, a new species, has been described from the territory of Poland for C. suaveolens; in order to confirm its validity, it was necessary to redescribe D. talpae Hirst, 1921, from T. europaea, a demodecid species first described by Hirst in 1921 from England and then noted only in Poland. Both species colonized the hairy skin of the body in their hosts, where no disease symptoms of infestation were observed. However, D. crocidurae showed higher infection parameters (prevalence 100%, mean intensity 11.7, intensity range 3–26 individuals) than those of D. talpae (30.0%, 4.7, 2.0–8.0), possibly due to different host biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasitic and Pathogenic Mites in Animals)
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