Some allergenic species of astigmatid mites (Acari, Acaridida) from different synanthropic environments in southern Poland

Abstract

A survey of allergenic mites from bird nests, farming environments, and from cages and runs of animals of the Silesian ZOO was made. A total of 12,986 mite speci- mens were isolated including 7,570 mites from the order Acaridida (58.3%). The astigma- tid mites were most abundant in farming environments and constituted 67.4% of all mites collected. They formed 46.7% and 58.6% of the total count from bird nests and the Sile- sian ZOO, respectively. More than 29 mite species were identified of which the most abundant were Acarus farris, Acarus immobilis (farms, Silesian ZOO) and Hirstia che- lidonis (bird nests). Caloglyphus oudemansi, the acarid mite species new to the fauna of Poland was found in a cowshed in Majdan Gorny. It is noteworthy that, to the best of our knowledge, samples from zoological garden were actually analysed for the first time on the occurrence of allergenic mites.