Taxonomy and distribution of African chiggers (Acariformes, Trombiculidae)

Alexandr A Stekolnikov

doi:10.5852/ejt.2018.395

Abstract

Chigger mites of the African continent are reviewed using data acquired from the literature and examination of the collections deposited at the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium) and the Natural History Museum (London, UK). All findings for 443 valid chigger species belonging to 61 genera are reported, along with details on their collection locality and host species. Three new synonyms are proposed: Straelensia Vercammen-Grandjean & Kolebinova, 1968 (= Anasuscuta Brown, 2009 syn. nov.); Herpetacarus (Herpetacarus) Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960 (= Herpetacarus (Lukoschuskaaia) Kolebinova & Vercammen-Grandjean, 1980 syn. nov.); Gahrliepia brennani (Jadin & Vercammen-Grandjean, 1952) (= Gahrliepia traubi Audy, Lawrence & Vercammen-Grandjean, 1961 syn. nov.). A new replacement name is proposed: Microtrombicula squirreli Stekolnikov, 2017 nom. nov. pro Eltonella myonacis heliosciuri Vercammen-Grandjean, 1965 (praeocc. Vercammen-Grandjean, 1965). Ninety new combinations are proposed. Keys to subfamilies, genera and subgenera of African trombiculid larvae and diagnoses of these taxa are given.

Highlights

Trombiculidae Ewing, 1944 constitute one of the largest groups of parasitic mites including more than 2000 or 3000 species, according to some estimates (Brennan & Goff 1977; Fernandes & Kulkarni 2003)
The significance of trombiculids as specific vectors of Orientia tsutsugamushi is most known in the Asia-Pacific region and Western South America (Weitzel et al 2016); reports of indigenous scrub typhus supported by serological data were published for some African countries as well (Giroud & Jadin 1951; Osuga et al 1991; Ghorbani et al 1997; Thiga et al 2015; Maina et al 2016)
A few gaps in the library collection of Revue de zoologie et de botanique africaines were filled during my visit to RMCA

Summary

Introduction

Trombiculidae Ewing, 1944 constitute one of the largest groups of parasitic mites including more than 2000 or 3000 species, according to some estimates (Brennan & Goff 1977; Fernandes & Kulkarni 2003). Trombiculids are temporary parasites that spend only a small part of their life time on a host As a result, their species are rather habitat- than host-specific, preferential connections with some host taxa caused by a coincidence of their preferred habitats may occur; e.g., cave-dwelling chiggers parasitize mainly bats (Kudryashova 1998). The significance of trombiculids as specific vectors of Orientia tsutsugamushi (causative agent of scrub typhus) is most known in the Asia-Pacific region and Western South America (Weitzel et al 2016); reports of indigenous scrub typhus supported by serological data were published for some African countries as well (Giroud & Jadin 1951; Osuga et al 1991; Ghorbani et al 1997; Thiga et al 2015; Maina et al 2016). As for Africa, the absence of publications summarizing faunistic and taxonomic data on chiggers from the continent during the last 50 years impedes new investigations of these mites

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Conclusion