Macrocheles Glaber Research Articles

Dominance and Frequency of Mite Species Associated with Poultry Droppings

The present study was carried out onAl-Saqlawiya poultry farm's soil (Anbar, Iraq) for the period of 8 months (November 2018- June 2019). A total of 75 samples of poultry droppings were collectedrandomly. 552 individuals of mite,belonging to 3 orders and 8 families representing 15 species, were found. These species were: Acarus gracilis, Acarus siro, Caloglyphus berlesi, Androlaelaps casalis, Sejus temperaticus, Parasitus paraconsanguineus, Eugamasus butleri, Macrocheles medarius, Macrocheles glaber, Macrocheles muscaedomesticae, Macrocheles matrius, Kleemannia plumosus, Cheyletus eruditus, Cheyletus malaccensis, and Pyemotes herfsi.
 The highest population density belonged to order Astigmata, followed by orders Mesostigmata and Prostigmata, respectively. The dominance and frequency of mite species were linked to the availability of appropriate conditions in terms of food source and temperatures registered in theIraqi Meteorological Directorate. Thehighest mite population densities were recorded during the winter months compared to the summer months.

Macrocheles species (Acari: Macrochelidae) associated with human corpses in Europe

The biology of macrochelid mites might offer new venues for the interpretation of the environmental conditions surrounding human death and decomposition. Three human corpses, one from Sweden and two from Spain, have been analysed for the occurrence of Macrochelidae species. Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli) females were associated with a corpse that was found in a popular beach area of southeast Spain. Their arrival coincides with the occurrence of one of their major carrier species, the filth fly Fannia scalaris, the activity of which peaks during mid-summer. Macrocheles glaber (Müller) specimens were collected from a corpse in a shallow grave in a forest in Sweden at the end of summer, concurrent with the arrival of beetles attracted by odours from the corpse. Macrocheles perglaber Filipponi and Pegazzano adults were sampled from a corpse found indoors in the rural surroundings of Granada city, south Spain. The phoretic behaviour of this species is similar to that of M. glaber, but it is more specific to Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae dung beetles, most of which favour human faeces. Macrocheles muscaedomesticae is known from urban and rural areas and poultry farms, M. glaber from outdoors, particularly the countryside, whereas M. perglaber is known from outdoor, rural, and remote, potentially mountainous locations. Macrocheles muscaedomesticae and M. perglaber are reported for the first time from the Iberian Peninsula. This is the first record of M. perglaber from human remains.

Mite infection of Carabus violaceus in rural forest patches and urban parks

Background and purpose We investigated phoretic mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) infection of Carabus violaceus (Coleoptera: Carabidae ) in rural forest patches and urban forested parks in and around Debrecen city, Hungary. We hypothesized that the prevalence of mite infection, mean abundance, mean and median intensity of mites is higher in rural forest patches than in urban parks. Materials and methods We collected C. violaceus individuals using live-capture pitfall traps and preserved them frozen. We identified and counted each mite of the host beetle individuals. Chi 2 , Bootstrap t-test, Mood’s median test were used. Results We trapped altogether 199 C. violaceus individuals (101 in the rural forest patches and 98 in the urban parks). There were 250 phoretic mite individuals on the C. violaceus representing two species ( Poecilochirus carabi , Macrocheles glaber ). We found 224 mite individuals in the rural forest patches, and 26 in the urban parks. We found that the prevalence, mean abundance, mean and median intensity of phoretic mites were significantly higher in the rural forest patches, than in the urban parks. Discussion The studied phoretic mite species use beetles only for transfer and not harming them. Thus, the prevalence and mean intensity of these species depend primarily on the number of available prey density. The cause of decreased number of these phoretic mite species in the urban forest patches should be investigated in more details analysing the effect of disturbance due to urbanisation on a mite fauna and evaluating mite infection on carabids as potential bioindication of habitat disturbances or degradation. Keywords: urbanization, prevalence, Mesostigmata, live-capture traps

Mites and internal parasites associated with the common dung beetle Geotrupes (Anoplotrupes) stercorosus (Hartmann in Scriba, 1791) in Poland.

Common dung beetles collected in the "Sobieski Forest" (eastern border of Warsaw suburbs) were examined for the occurrence and prevalence of infections or infestations with intestinal parasites and phoretic mites in relation to soil characteristics and quality of the forest habitat. Endoparasitic fauna was represented by gregarines Didymophyes paradoxa, microsporidians Plistophora geotrupina and cysticerkoids of 2 tapeworms - Ditestolepis diaphana and Staphylocystis furcate. Prevalence of these infections was higher for beetles collected from rich habitats. Acarofauna was represented by hypopodes of Sancassania geotruporum (Astigmatina, Acaridae) and the following taxa of mesostigmatic mites: Alliphis halleri, Macrocheles glaber, Parasitus coleoptratorum and unidentified juvenile Laelapidae representative. Mites were most abundant in June, July and September. They were only slightly more numerously found on dung beetles from the rich habitats. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling, MDS (2D stress = 0.13) revealed significant similarities in the distribution of mite taxa between poor and rich sites and among the investigated months (June, July and September).

Ovoviviparity in Macrocheles glaber (Müller) (Acari: Macrochelidae), with notes on parental care and egg cannibalism

In Macrocheles glaber (Müller), oviposition can involve either oviparity or egg production followed by immediate hatching of the larva, a process that may be called ovoviviparity. We observed three phases in the process of ovoviviparity: preoviposition behaviour, oviposition followed by holding the egg under the gnathosoma and hatching of the larva assisted by the female. Two factors appear to favour the occurrence of ovoviviparity in this species: poor feeding and poor substrate quality. We witnessed egg cannibalism four times in two of the four females that we observed. We discuss the consequences of variable oviposition strategy, parental care and egg cannibalism in M. glaber in the context of maximization of reproductive success.

Records of the Macrocheles kraepelini species complex (Acari: Macrochelidae) from Mount Ijen, East Java, Indonesia, with description of a new species

Three species assignable to the Macrocheles kraepelini species complex of the Macrocheles glaber species group were recorded from Mount Ijen, East Java, Indonesia. Mites of the complex were collected from trogid beetles for the first time. Of these, one species, Macrocheles ijenensis, is new to science and is distinguished from other members of the complex by distinct coarse sternal ornamentation.

A limiting factor in the abundance of predatory phoretic mites (Acari: Macrochelidae): the seasonal abundance of their phorionts (dung beetles) in southern France

The effects of host (dung beetles; Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) activity on seasonal abundance of phoretic mites (predatory macrochelids) were investigated in experimental dung pads under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Macrocheles robustulus and Macrocheles merdarius were collected only in spring and autumn. The most abundant macrochelids (Macrocheles glaber group; >90%) were rare in the hottest days and during winter. Mite abundance and dung beetle activity were correlated. The distribution (aggregate or not) of macrochelids in both pads and beetle traps was interpreted as a consequence of the availability of carriers that were found greatly affected by unfavourable meteorological conditions (temperature and rainfall). By their abundance and because they are opportunistic in the choice of host, the M. glaber group species can be considered the most efficient in coprophilous fly control.

Description of the Macrocheles kraepelini species complex (Acari: Macrochelidae) with two new species

Mite predators of synanthropic flies similar to Macrocheles kraepelini (Berlese) are described as a new complex of species belonging to the Macrocheles glaber species group. Two new species in the kraepelini complex are described, M. tantalus and M. hallidayi. The male of M. kraepelini is described for the first time. Information on the distribution and phoretic associations of all three species is presented. Macrocheles hallidayi and M. kraepelini are sibling species, which, when sympatric, differ in adult body size by the same ratio as the holarctic sibling species pair of M. perglaber and M. glaber.

The seasonal abundance of phoretic predatory mites associated with dung beetles in South Eastern Australia (Acari: Macrochelidae, Parasitidae)

Abstract The seasonal abundance of two species of Macrochelidae, Macrocheles glaber and M. merdarius, and two species of Parasitidae, Parasitus coleoptratorum and P. fimetorum, was determined using dung-baited pitfall traps. The abundance of both Macrocheles species was closely tied in with the abundance of their two principal dung beetle carriers, vix. Onthophagus granulatus and O. australis. Many Parasitus were also brought to the traps by those dung beetles but many more were attracted to the traps independently of the beetles. M. glaber had two main periods of abundance, viz. spring/early summer and midsummer/early autumn. M. merdarius was active from late summer to autumn. P. coleoptratorum activity was concentrated in late spring/early summer and P. fimetorum was active throughout the year but most abundant from spring to early autumn.

Attempts to measure the influence of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on the field mortality of the bush fly Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae) in south-eastern Australia

AbstractThe immature stages of Musca vetustissima Wlk. in dung pads in south-eastern Australia suffered a high mortality through the actions of a complex array of dung organisms, including dung beetles (scarabaeids), predatory beetles (hydrophilids and histerids) and predatory mites (Macrocheles glaber (Müll.)). At times of high dung beetle numbers, it was possible to demonstrate a relationship between fly mortality and dung beetle numbers. Single-species dung beetle populations appeared to be as effective as multiple-species populations in reducing fly numbers, except that some benefit was derived from a combination of day- and night-flying species. When dung beetle numbers were low, their influence could not be measured because of the high mortalities already caused by the other dung fauna. It is suggested that in those circumstances any mortality caused by the dung beetles may simply have become substituted for an existing mortality caused by other fauna without adding to the total mortality.

Arthropod-induced mortality in immature stages of the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae)

AbstractLaboratory and field experiments were carried out in Australia to determine the effect of arthropods in cattle dung on the survival of the eggs and larvae of Musca vetustissima Wlk. They were tested in the numbers in which they came to dung pads near Canberra, during the 1978–79 and 1979–80 seasons. Laboratory tests indicated that the mite Macrocheles glaber (Müll.), the hydrophilid Cercyon sp. and the histerid Saprinus sp. were all very effective predators. The native dung beetles Onthophagus granulatus Boh. and O. australis Guér. exerted only a marginal controlling effect; and the staphylinid and aphodiine beetles were found to be largely ineffective. The control exerted by the total field fauna when brought into the laboratory was considerable when one or more of the three species of effective predators was present. In the field trials, the control of M. vetustissima was further enhanced by the adverse influence of weather.

Morphological and genetic differentiation betweenMacrocheles glaberandMacrocheles perglaber(Acarina: Mesostigmata)

Abstract The mites Macrocheles glaber and M. perglaber are two sibling species whose identification on the basis of morphological characters is often uncertain. We studied electrophoretically sympatric and allopatric field populations of these species from number of localities, in the attempt to find biochemical diagnostic characters. Two out of the five enzyme loci assayed, α-Gpdh and Got, were found diagnostic between the two species in all the samples tested. Both loci appear monomorphic for electrophoretically distinct alleles, allowing the identification of all the specimens. These results are much promising not only at the taxonomic level but also for ecological studies as for instance the determination of the trophic niche of these largely sympatric sibling species.

An Association Between Pelodera (Coarctadera) Acarambates N. Sp. (Rhabditina: Nematoda) and Macrochelid Mites (Mesostigmata: Acari)

Sheathed nematode larvae of Pelodera (Coarctadera) acarambates n. sp. were found on the back of the mites Macrocheles glaber (Muller) and M. submotus Falconer. P. acarambates n. sp. is described and its bionomics are discussed and compared with those of five other species in this subgenus.

Considerations on the Life-history of Tapeworms of the Genus Moniezia

Lambs contract Moniezia infection either at or very soon after birth, since they have been observed to harbour adult worms at 2–3 months old and in one case, to pass proglottids at 4–6 weeks.The intermediate host, if such exists, must be frequent on the pasture in early spring, otherwise lambs would not be found to harbour adult tapeworms so regularly or in such numbers when slaughtered in early summer. In the small intestine of a lamb from 3–4 months old slaughtered at Aberystwyth, there occurred 75 individuals.The fact that lambs regularly harbour adult tapeworms before they are weaned suggests the possibility of their contracting the infection from the mother-ewes. No direct evidence in this direction has been obtained, however, and an attempt to produce a larval stage in the udder region of a ewe by feeding to it the eggs of a tapeworm proved abortive.Hitherto, all attempts to produce the adult tapeworms directly by feeding the eggs to sheep have failed; there is, however, the remote possibility that the eggs require to undergo some kind of maturation process outside the body of the sheep before they will develop. The fact that several species of Moniezia occur in the domestic sheep would seem to require an intermediate stage, which would occur in a corresponding number of intermediate-host species.The disease seems prevalent in flocks which are singularly free from ectoparasites.The invertebrates which seem most likely to harbour an intermediate stage are coprophagous insects, etc. (beetles, flies, mites). Attempts to infect species of Aphodius have nevertheless proved fruitless.Moisture favours the survival of the eggs of Moniezia: eggs kept in water for a period of several months seemed to remain perfectly viable. Nevertheless tapeworm is common among flocks on pastures about Rome which are characteristically dry.A comprehensive series of experiments under conditions of the most complete control would almost certainly clear up the life-history; on economic grounds alone the problem is urgent.The overwhelming majority of a quantity of worms collected from slaughter-houses in Aberystwyth, Aberdeen, Beauly (Inverness-shire) and Newcastle-on-Tyne proved to be of the species M. expansa. The only other species found were M. trigonophora and M. alba. The identification was based on anatomical characters and not on externals, which are useless.The writer intends directing his attention to coprophagous mites as carriers, viz. Gamasus coleoptratorum, G. fimetorum, Macrocheles glaber.