Two new species of parasitic demodecid mites in the European polecat Mustela putorius and their co-infestation with Miridex putorii (Acariformes: Demodecidae)

Abstract

The biodiversity of parasitic mites of the Demodecidae, infesting mammalian carnivorans, is poorly understood. To date, 18 host-specific species have been described, including four each from domestic dogs and cats, and only 10 from wild carnivores, known from single or duplicate reports. No data is available on the level of infestation of wild populations, or the co-occurrence of different demodecids in the same host, as only single species have been identified in individual hosts. A convenient model for such studies turned out to be the European polecat Mustela putorius, in which a new genus and species, Miridex putorii, was recently described in the vibrissae region of the skin of the head. Our study reveals that M. putorii co-occur with other species: Demodex putorii sp. nov. (associated with the hairless skin of the head) and Demodex foetorii sp. nov. (associated with hairy skin). Thus, the present study provides descriptions of species new to science. It also provides the first analysis of the occurrence of Demodecidae in wild mammalian carnivorans at the species and individual animal level based on the co-occurrence of three demodecid mite species in the skin of the head in M. putorius. Demodecid mites were found in 75.7% of 37 polecats; M. putorii showed the highest prevalence (56.8%), and D. putorii showed the highest abundance in the skin (mean 10.8 mites in 9 cm2). The three species co-occurred in 5.4% of the polecats, and two species in 27.0%. Despite the very high abundances, infestation was not associated with gross skin pathology (a feature of stable parasite–host systems formed by long-term co-evolution). The co-occurrence of several species and the separation of microhabitats are also typical of Demodecidae of other mammalian groups and illustrate the optimal use of the host body as a habitat and food source with limited impact. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4D12FF6B-5A9E-4346-A496-52AC8448E7FE https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/4D12FF6B-5A9E-4346-A496-52AC8448E7FE urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:07C533F5-9392-4FD3-BF9A-E1058C0FC1D6 https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/07C533F5-9392-4FD3-BF9A-E1058C0FC1D6