New host and locality records for Gastronyssus bakeri (Acari: Gastronyssidae), a stomach parasite of Malaysian fruit bats, with notes on immature stages.

Abstract

In january and February 1975, 52 fruit bats (family Pteropodidae), identified as Cynopterus brachyotis (Miller), C. horsfieldii Gray and Eonycteris spelaea (Dobson), were collected by mist net at Kampung Tengah, Ulu jempol, State of Negri Sembilan, West Malaysia. Bats were either brought to the laboratory in Kuala Lumpur alive or dissected in the field. Stomachs and intestines of field-dissected bats were preserved in 70% ethanol and examined for mites within 1 week. Stomachs and intestines of bats returned to Kuala Lumpur were examined immediately and living mites placed in 70% ethanol. All mites were cleared briefly in lactophenol, mounted in Hoyerʼs medium, and studied under phase contrast.