Investigation on species and community ecology of Acaroid mites breeding in stored traditional Chinese animal medicinal materials

Abstract

To investigate the species of Acaroid mites breeding in the stored traditional Chinese animal medicinal materials and the relationship between its community and habitats. A total of 30 samples of traditional Chinese animal medicinal herbs were collected from Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China. The mites were isolated by the directly microscopic and floatation microscopic examinations, and then identified and counted under a light microscope. Acaroid mites was represented in 28 of the 30 samples, and the breeding rate accounted for as high as 93.3% (28/30). Totally, 13 species of Acaroid mites were identified, which belonged to 4 families and 9 genera. The densities of Acaroid mites were top in 6 Chinese herbal medicines, such as corium erinacei, aspongopus, hirudo, pheretima aspergillum, Apostichopus and huechys. The diversity parameters of these six traditional Chinese animal medicinal herbs were calculated. The highest richness indexes were in aspongopus and hirudo, the highest diversity index was in hirudo, and the highest evenness index was in Apostichopus. There are Acaroid mites breeding in parts of the traditional Chinese animal medicinal herbs stored in Wuhu. In the storage and processing of Chinese herbal medicines, we should pay attention to the prevention and control of mites.