Abstract
Simple SummaryThis paper describes a new species, Demodex crocidurae, inhabiting the hairy skin of Crocidura suaveolens. It also redescribes the most morphologically similar form: Demodex talpae from Talpa europaea, a species known from Hirst’s 1921 description. Following a differential diagnosis, it was concluded that these are separate species with different features important in the taxonomy of Demodecidae, inhabiting analogous microhabitats in different species of hosts.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.
Highlights
The Demodecidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) fauna of the soricomorphs (Soricomorpha) has been poorly studied
Demodecidae were isolated using the digestion method developed for the detection of mammalian skin mites [14], with modifications to suit the examined host
Demodex crocidurae sp. nov. clearly differs from all known Demodecidae species. It resembles D. talpae in general body shape, and certain characteristics, namely, the shape of the supracoxal spines and leg claws, which are observed in several demodecid mites of the Muridae, e.g., D. musculi Oudemans, 1897, D. apodemi Hirst, 1918, D
Summary
The Demodecidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) fauna of the soricomorphs (Soricomorpha) has been poorly studied. The majority (eight) of these records concern the Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus Cabrera, 1907, and the common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758; for each of these hosts, two Demodecidae species were described [2,3,4,5,6]. Only one species, Demodex foveolator Bukva, 1984, has been known from the lesser white-toothed shrew Crocidura suaveolens (Pallas, 1811), found in this host only in the tail region. It was described from the Czechia and recently recorded from Poland [7,8]. Demodex talpae Hirst, 1921, collected from the European mole
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