Mite Species Research Articles

A new species of Rhinonyssidae (Mesostigmata) nasal mite (Ptilonyssus simplex n. sp.) from the Bohemian waxwing in Denmark.

A new species of nasal mite, Ptilonyssus simplex n. sp. is described and illustrated based on material from Bohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Bombycillidae). The bird host was collected in a residental area in Hirtshals, Denmark, in October 2022. A set of diagnostic characters is presented in order to differentiate the new species from the overall similar species Ptilonyssus bombycillae Pence, 1973 which has been recorded from Bombycilla spp. in Europe and Northern America.

A new Paraepitrimerus species (Acari: Acariformes: Eriophyoidea) from Hungary on an endemic plant, Minuartia frutescens (Caryophyllaceae)

AbstractA new vagrant species of phyllocoptine mites, Paraepitrimerus abaujensis n. sp. associated with Minuartia frutescens (Caryophyllaceae) is described and illustrated from Hungary.

First Record of Two Nasal Mites Genus Rhinonyssus (Mesostigmata, Rhinonyssidae) Parasitizing Birds from Estonia

Rhinonyssids are obligate hematophagous mites that parasitize the nasal cavity of domestic and wilds birds worldwide. For the first time, two species of nasal mites of the genus Rhinonyssus from Estonia are described. One species of nasal mite, Rhinonyssus pluvialis Fain et Johnston, 1966, is described and illustrated based on material from Pluvialis apricaria Linnaeus, 1758 (Charadriiformes, Charadriidae). Another species of nasal mite, Rhinonyssus tringae Fain, 1963, is described and illustrated based on material from Tringa glareola Linnaeus, 1758 (Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae). The bird hosts were collected in Estonia, Puhato järv.

Phytoseiid Mites: Trees, Ecology and Conservation

The highly variable ’leafscapes’ of plants across the world represent billions of square metres of mite habitat. The phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae), an extremely species-rich group of mostly generalist predators, are providers of ecosystem services for humanity worth many hundreds of millions of dollars annually by helping suppress phytophagous mites and insects in forests, agro-ecosystems, shade-houses and home gardens. In this study, the phytoseiid mite assemblages on the leaves of four species of common tree species, namely oak (Quercus cerris var. cerris), poplar (Populus deltoides, P. nigra) and walnut (Juglans regia), were compared. The three data sets used were generated in three independent seasonal studies in Samsun Province, Türkiye, between 2018 and 2022. In total, mite species in 18 families, including 15 families on walnut, were recorded. Nineteen phytoseiid species in 13 genera, Amblydromalus, Amblyseius, Euseius, Kampimodromus, Neoseiulella, Neoseiulus, Paraseiulus, Phytoseius, Transeius, Typhlodromina, Typhlodromips, Typhlodromus and Typhloseiulus, were collected. Only Eusieus amissibilis was collected from all three tree genera, whereas 14 species were collected from only one tree genus. Shannon diversity and Jaccard similarity indexes were calculated for mite families and phytoseiid genera and species. Potential reasons for the observed differences in the phytoseiid assemblages on the different host trees are explored in depth. In the ‘big picture’, global biodiversity, likely including many undescribed phytoseiid species, is threatened by widespread habitat degradation and destruction, especially in the tropics, and accelerating climate change, and rapidly stopping them is imperative.

Host egg volatiles are involved in brood parasitism in predatory mites

Abstract Recently, we reported brood parasitism in the tiny predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae); adult females of this species prefer to add their eggs to a cluster of eggs of another predatory mite species, Gynaeseius liturivorus (Acari: Phytoseiidae), which guards its own eggs against egg predators. Here, we investigated the cues used by the blind N. californicus to detect eggs of G. liturivorus. We show that N. californicus locates oviposition sites of G. liturivorus using volatiles emanating from eggs of the latter species. Adult female G. liturivorus spent more time guarding oviposition sites that contain more eggs, which resulted in a higher per capita survival of the eggs. We therefore hypothesized that N. californicus would prefer oviposition sites with more G. liturivorus eggs. Indeed, N. californicus preferably laid their egg at oviposition sites containing more than six G. liturivorus eggs, which corresponds to the average number laid by a female G. liturivorus during 1 day. Our results suggest that N. californicus uses egg volatiles to localize oviposition sites of G. liturivorus, where the eggs of the former are effectively protected against egg predators.

A new species of genus Aceria (Acari: Eriophyidae) on Chinese fringetree from Korea

It has been reported that young shoots of the Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus Lindl. & Paxton), a roadside tree in Korea, deformed into cauliflower-like galls, causing stunted growth. The symptom is associated with the occurrence of an eriophyid mite belonging to the genus Aceria, which is identified as Aceria chionanthi sp. nov. This study provides descriptions and photographs of this new mite species.

Low acaricide resistance levels in citrus orchards field populations of the invasive spider mite Eutetranychus orientalis (Acari: Tetranychidae) collected from southern Türkiye

The citrus brown mite Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein), is known as one of the most significant pests in citrus growing areas worldwide. It has recently caused outbreaks in the Mediterranean region of Türkiye. This study aimed to determine the resistance levels of E. orientalis populations between 2020 and 2021 collected from 9 commercial citrus orchards in Adana province against 5 different acaricides, in order to determine whether the observed population outbreak was due to acaricide resistance. The resistance ratios were changed between 1.67 and 2.50, 1.00–2.53, 1.85–3.68, 1.30–2.65, and 1.93–3.13-fold for abamectin, etoxazole, fenbutatin oxide, pyridaben, and spirodiclofen, respectively. The enzyme activity levels of carboxylesterase, glutathione S-transferase, and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase ranged between 1.00 and 1.13, 1.02–1.52, and 0.94–1.72-fold, respectively. As a result of the resistance study carried out for the first time on this species in Türkiye, the resistance ratios were determined to be low for E. orientalis against acaricides. Although the current resistance rates were low, certain populations exhibited a noteworthy surge in enzyme activities when compared to the susceptible population. Based on these findings, it was concluded that by implementing an appropriate resistance management strategy using acaricides with different modes of action, it is possible to prevent potential resistance development and use these acaricides effectively on this spider mite species for many years through rotation.

Short-term responses of spider mites inform mechanisms of maize resistance to a generalist herbivore

Plants are attacked by diverse herbivorous pests with different host specializations. While host plant resistance influences pest pressure, how resistance impacts the behaviors of generalist and specialist herbivores, and the relationship to resistance, is less well known. Here, we investigated the short-term (< 1 h) behavioral changes of a generalist herbivore, the two-spotted spider mite (TSM), and a specialist herbivore, the Banks grass mite (BGM), after introduction to no-choice Tanglefoot leaf-arenas (2 × 2 cm) of three maize inbred lines (B73, B75, and B96). The widely-used inbred line B73 is susceptible to spider mites, while B75 and B96 are known to be mite resistant, especially to TSM. Video tracking was used to record TSM and BGM walking, probing, feeding, resting, web-building and travel distance on arenas of each line. Mite oviposition was also recorded after 72 h. B75, a resistant line, decreased the feeding behavior (i.e., time) of both mite species compared to B73 (susceptible control) and B96. Moreover, TSM appeared to be sensitive to both resistant lines (B75 and B96) with reduced oviposition, and increased resting and web-building times compared to susceptible B73. In contrast, the specialist BGM showed no difference in oviposition, resting and web-building time across all maize inbred lines. Our findings of quite broad and short-term responses of TSM to B75 and B96 are consistent with a role for constitutive or rapidly induced plant defenses in maize in conferring TSM resistance. Other mechanisms of plant resistance may be needed, however, for defense against specialists like BGM.

Diversity of bartonellae in mites (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae) of boreal forest bats: Association of host specificity of mites and habitat selection of hosts with vector potential.

Research into various bacterial pathogens that can be transmitted between different animals and may have zoonotic potential has led to the discovery of different strains of Bartonella sp. in bats and their associated ectoparasites. Despite their enormous species diversity, only a few studies have focussed on the detection of bacterial pathogens in insectivorous bats of boreal forests and their associated Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites. We collected and molecularly analysed mite samples from forest-dwelling bat species distributed all along the boreal belt of the Palearctic, from Central Europe to Far East. Ectoparasitic mites were pooled for DNA extraction and DNA amplification polymerase chain reaction (PCRs) were conducted to detect the presence of various bacterial (Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella sp., Rickettsia sp., Mycoplasma sp.) and protozoal (Hepatozoon sp.) pathogens. Bartonella sp. DNA was detected in four different mite species (Macronyssidae: Steatonyssus periblepharus and Spinturnicidae: Spinturnix acuminata, Sp. myoti and Sp. mystacinus), with different prevalences of the targeted gene (gltA, 16-23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer and ftsZ). Larger pools (>5 samples pooled) were more likely to harbour Bartonella sp. DNA, than smaller ones. In addition, cave-dwelling bat hosts and host generalist mite species are more associated with Bartonella spp. presence. Spinturnicidae mites may transmit several distinct Bartonella strains, which cluster phylogenetically close to Bartonella species known to cause diseases in humans and livestock. Mites with ubiquitous presence may facilitate the long-term maintenance (and even local recurrence) of Bartonella-infestations inside local bat populations, thus acting as continuous reservoirs for Bartonella spp in bats.

New species of Binodacarus and Rhodacarus mites (Mesostigmata: Rhodacaridae) from Brazilian Cerrado biome, and a key to the world species of the genera

Binodacarus tocantinensis sp. nov. and Rhodacarus emilianoi sp. nov. are described based on the morphology of adult females collected from litter/soil in a fragment of the Cerrado biome, in Tocantins state, northern Brazil. In addition, the keys for the separation of females of the world species of Binodacarus and Rhodacarus are provided.

Toxicological and physiological activity of lemongrass and peppermint essential oils as acaricidal agents on life-table parameters of Oligonychus mangiferus (Rahman & Sapra) and its predatory mite, Cydnoseius negevi (Swirskii & Amitai)

The goal of this study is to explore the effects of lemongrass and peppermint essential oils, specifically at their LC50 concentrations, on the demographic parameters of two mite species: Oligonychus mangiferus (Rahman & Sapra) and its predatory mite counterpart, Cydnoseius negevi (Swirskii & Amitai). By evaluating these essential oils, the study aims to contribute to eco-friendly pest management strategies within integrated pest management (IPM) programs. The effects of these oils were assessed in terms of measuring the activity of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes. GC–MS was used to identify the chemical components of these oils. The main compounds identified by GC–MS in lemongrass and peppermint essential oils were D-Limonene (45.06%), β-Citral (10.30%), α-Citral (9.90%)) and (Menthol (32.03%), Menthone (30.18%), p-Menthan-3-one (11.53%), respectively. The results showed that lemongrass and peppermint were more toxic to O. mangiferus than to C. negevi. Exposure of O. mangiferus to the LC50 of these oils caused a significant increase in peroxidase and catalase enzymes, but it inhibited the detoxifying enzymes, α-esterase, β-esterase, and glutathione s-transferase. Also, these oils had disruptive effects on survival, longevity, and fecundity of O. mangiferus; as they reduced its demographic parameters such as (R0) (GRR) (rm), and (λ). However, they did not show any substantial change in the development time and demographic parameters of C. negevi. On the contrary, they improved its enzymes activity. According to these findings, these essential oils can be used in combination with biological control agents in the integrated pest management strategies against the mango spider mite, O. mangiferus.

Population structure, spatial aggregation, and sampling plan for the Texas citrus mite, Eutetranychus banksi (Acari: Tetranychidae) on citrus.

Eutetranychus banksi (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae) is an invasive spider mite native to the Americas. In 2013 it invaded the main citrus-growing area in Spain producing significant damage and requiring chemical treatments. This work examines its population structure, spatial distribution and presents a sampling plan, which will assist in developing an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. There were differences in the population structure on fruits and leaves, as well as between leaves from different flushes with fluctuations over time correlated with variations in sex ratio. No differences in aggregation at the different plant strata were found; however, immature stages showed a higher aggregation than adults, with females being the sex with the lowest aggregation. There was a high correlation between E. banksi motile forms and adult females with the total population, thus both were used as reference stages to develop sampling plans. We recommend binomial sampling of 100 leaves for female monitoring, sampling two leaves per tree on 25 trees per transect regularly spaced along two diagonal transects, the first oriented northeast to southwest and the second northwest to southeast. To be more accurate, it is possible to survey the presence/absence of motile forms. In this case, four leaves per tree in 50 trees per transect should be monitored. This study has resulted in the first sampling plan for E. banksi, one of the most damaging citrus mite species described so far. The binomial sampling plan involves monitoring reference developmental stages, as well as a reasonable sample size that makes it applicable in field sampling for decisions making based on a future intervention threshold. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Bio-efficacy of some plant extracts as a new acaricide for control of the house dust and stored product mites

ABSTRACT House mites frequently trigger allergic conditions. Although conventional treatments are effective, they can result in drug resistance and pose risks to the environment, human health, and non-target organisms. Therefore, this study evaluates new botanical extracts for their biological activities against Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart 1897; Pyroglyphidae), D. farinae (Hughes 1961; Pyroglyphidae), and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank 1781; Acaridae), not only to control them but also to reduce their allergens (dead bodies and faecal particles) by keeping them away. It is noteworthy that of these plants, Allium cepa L. (Alliaceae) and Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae) peel extracts, as well as leaves of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Malvaceae), were tested for the first time in the present study as new bioacaricides, while Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae) and H. sabdariffa leaves proved to be new botanical repellents for these mite species. Based on LC50 values, A. cepa, Beta vulgaris, and S. melongena extracts had the most potent toxic effects on these mite species, while extracts of Aloe vera, Capsicum annum, and P. nigrum had the strongest repellent activity against them at the highest concentration. These natural plant extracts may have valuable potential as new acaricidal products.

The storage mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae induces greater lung inflammation than house dust mites in mice.

Exposure to storage mite (SM) and house dust mite (HDM) allergens is a risk factor for sensitization and asthma development; however, the related immune responses and their pathology have not been fully investigated. The HDMs Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and SM Tyrophagus putrescentiae are potent allergens that induce asthma. Most SM-related studies have focused on the allergic reactions of individuals by measuring their immunoglobulin (Ig)E expression. Considering the limited research on this topic, the present study aims to investigate the differences in the immune responses induced by HDMs and SMs and histologically analyze lung tissues in a mouse asthma model to understand the differential effects of HDM and SM. The results revealed that all mite species induced airway inflammation. Mice challenged with T. putrescentiae had the highest airway resistance and total cell, eosinophil, and neutrophil counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The SM-sensitized groups showed more severe lesions and mucus hypersecretions than the HDM-sensitized groups. Although the degree of HDM and SM exposure was the same, the damage to the respiratory lung tissue was more severe in SM-exposed mice, which resulted in excessive mucin secretion and increased fibrosis. Furthermore, these findings suggest that SM sensitization induces a more significant hypersensitivity response in mucosal immunity than HDM sensitization in asthma models.

The species, density, and intra-plant distribution of mites on red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.).

The adoption of the European Green Deal will limit acaricide use in high value crops like raspberry, to be replaced by biological control and other alternative strategies. More basic knowledge on mites in such crops is then necessary, like species, density, and their role as vectors of plant diseases. This study had four aims, focusing on raspberry leaves at northern altitude: (1) identify mite species; (2) study mite population densities; (3) investigate mite intra-plant distribution; (4) investigate co-occurrence of phytophagous mites, raspberry leaf blotch disorder and raspberry leaf blotch virus (RLBV). Four sites in south-eastern Norway were sampled five times. Floricanes from different parts of the sites were collected, taking one leaf from each of the upper, middle, and bottom zones of the cane. Mites were extracted with a washing technique and processed for species identification and RLBV detection. Mites and leaves were tested for RLBV by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with virus-specific primers. Phytophagous mites, Phyllocoptes gracilis, Tetranychus urticae, and Neotetranychus rubi, and predatory mites, Anystis baccarum and Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri were identified. All phytophagous mites in cultivated raspberry preferred the upper zone of floricanes, while in non-cultivated raspberry, they preferred the middle zone. The presence of phytophagous mites did not lead to raspberry leaf blotch disorder during this study. RLBV was detected in 1.3% of the sampled plants, none of them with leaf blotch symptoms, and in 4.3% of P. gracilis samples, and in some spider mite samples, implying that Tetranychids could also be vectors of RLBV.

Evaluation of the temperature adaptation of three rubber tree pest mites based on their two-sex life table.

To determine the optimal temperature range for the development and reproduction of three spider mites (Eotetranychus sexmaculatus, Eotetranychus orientalis, and Oligonychus biharensis), this study investigated their developmental period, survival rate, lifespan, and reproduction under five temperatures, 21, 24, 27, 30, and 33°C, to predict and control in the field. With the gathered data, a two-sex life table was constructed for each of them. The results revealed that as the temperature increased, both O. biharensis and E. orientalis displayed a gradual reduction in their generation period. Furthermore, an inverse relationship was observed between lifespan and temperature for all three spider mite species. When examining the survival rates at varying temperatures, E. sexmaculatus exhibited the highest rate (98%) at 33°C, while E. orientalis and O. biharensis demonstrated their highest survival rates at 24°C, reaching 90% and 100% respectively. Regarding reproduction, O. biharensis displayed the highest oviposition rates at 30°C with an average of 17.45 eggs per individual. Conversely, E. sexmaculatus and E. orientalis exhibited the highest oviposition rates at 33°C, averaging at 15.22 and 21.38 eggs per individual respectively. Significantly higher intrinsic growth rates were observed for O. biharensis and E. orientalis at 33°C, with rates of 0.22 and 0.26 respectively. In contrast, E. sexmaculatus demonstrated the highest intrinsic growth rate at 27°C. The temperature of 27°C was more suitable for the growth of the E. sexmaculatus, while 33°C was the optimal temperature for the E. orientalis and O. biharensis. The current findings provide valuable guidance for the control and prevention of these three spider mites.

Checklist of the mites (Acari) of Türkiye. Third supplement

As new species are described, taxonomic modifications or revisions are made and distributional data are increased, the checklists are frequently updated regularly. The present paper is a comprehensive supplementary document that aims to list the current species of mites (Acari) found in Türkiye. The species list is arranged alphabetically orders and includes the published records. According to the current information, among the 1241 taxa, 241 belong to the Mesostigmata, 19 to the Ixodida, 728 to the Trombidiformes and 253 to the Sarcoptiformes. This supplement might be a valuable resource for researchers and ecologists interested in understanding the biodiversity of mites in this region.

Description of juvenile instars of Scapheremaeus tonatiuh Palacios-Vargas, Ríos &amp; Vázquez, 1998 (Acari, Oribatida, Cymbaeremaeidae)

The oribatid mite species Scapheremaeus tonatiuh (Oribatida, Cymbaeremaeidae) is recorded for the first time in the U.S.A. (initially described from Mexico). Its juvenile instars are described, based on materials collected from arboreal habitats in Florida, U.S.A. (Neotropical region). The larval instar is characterized by the presence of gastronotic setae с3, la, lm, lp long, lanceolate having setiform apex, and h1 very long, subflagellate; the nymphal instars are characterized by the presence of exuvial scalps, 12 pairs of gastronotic setae (da, dm, dp absent) of which setae с3, la, lm, lp, h1, h2 are long, phylliform but h3 is very long, subflagellate. The main morphological traits of the adult are summarized.

First Records of Feather Mites and Haemosporidian Parasites in the Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) from the Westernmost Part of the Species Breeding Range

Host range expansions are an important factor for shaping the community of associated symbiotic organisms. Birds, as a highly mobile group of animals, are of particular interest to study with respect to the diversity and the distribution of the organisms using them as hosts during such large-scale movements. The Isabelline wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) is a species with a main breeding area in Asia, which has expanded west, towards the Balkans, since the middle of the last century. We collected feather mites and blood samples for haemosporidian parasites screening from adult and juvenile Isabelline wheatears from the westernmost edge of the species breeding area in western Bulgaria. The feather mite species Alaudicola rosickyi (Černy, 1963), previously found on other wheatear species, was found for the first time on Isabelline wheatears. One species of avian malaria parasites—Plasmodium relictum (Grassi and Feletti, 1891) (lineage SGS1)—represented the first record of a malaria parasite in this host species in Europe. Increasing the sampling in the South European populations of the species will shed light on blood parasite species diversity and will reveal if other feather mite species have followed their host during its breeding range expansion.

Prevalence of Tetranychus urticae Koch and T. turkestani (Ugarov & Nikolskii) (Acari: Tetranychidae) and their endosymbiotic bacteria in cotton fields of Aydin, Türkiye

Spider mites are important pests of cotton, a vital fiber crop cultivated in sun-drenched regions. This study investigated the prevalence and distribution of spider mite species infesting cotton fields in Aydin province, Türkiye. Spider mites were found in a significant portion (89%) of the surveyed fields. The two most abundant mite species, were the red form (RF) of Tetranychus urticae (57.1%) and T. turkestani (39.3%). A minor presence of T. urticae green form (GF) (3.6%) was observed. Tetranychus urticae RF was more prevalent in coastal areas, while T. turkestani was more common inland. Field surveys demonstrated that areas with higher T. urticae RF prevalence exhibited more frequent spraying, potentially due to this species’ greater capacity to develop resistance compared to T. turkestani. This study also investigated the prevalence of Wolbachia, Rickettsia, Cardinium and Spiroplasma endosymbionts, which are linked with pesticide resistance due to their ability to degrade pesticides, in these mite populations. The study confirmed the presence of Wolbachia and Rickettsia endosymbionts in spider mite populations in Türkiye. However, no Cardinium or Spiroplasma were detected in any of the populations. Infection rates of the detected endosymbionts differed between T. urticae and T. turkestani. Future studies should investigate the resistance levels of these tetranychid mite species as well as the role of their endosymbiotic bacteria in resistance in cotton-growing areas.