Presence Of Mites Research Articles

Standardization and establishment of an in vitro culture of Blomia tropicalis toward technological development purposes

Standardization and establishment of an in vitro culture of Blomia tropicalis toward technological development purposes

Case Study on a Possible External Mite Infestation (A. externusor A. Dorsalisor A. vagans) at Drone Brood of Apis Mellifera Carpathica Beesin a Apiaryfrom Southern Romania

Abstract So far, external parasites of Apis mellifera (A . externus, A. dorsalis, A. vagans ) bees have been identified in many countries in Europe, but the level of infestation was not considered dangerous. In Romania cases of infestation with the three mentioned species were not identified in Apis mellifera , but their presence has been reported in some neighbor countries. The purpose of this paper is to report a possible infestation with A. externus and A. dorsalis or A. vagans in Romania. The study was conducted on a total of 35 apiaries within 4 counties in Southern Romania, on samples of bees, drones and portions of honeycomb with/without brood. A single case of infestation was incidentally identified by microscopic investigation on samples of drone brood combs. Morphological aspects of the parasite investigated microscopically suspects the presence of an external mite with characteristics of Acarapis species. The results of our investigations show that infestation with Acarapis ( A. externus and A. dorsalis or A.vagans ) does not constitute a threat to the Apis mellifera Carpathica , but draws attention to their presence in the apiary in thesouth of the country.

Impact of Salvia and Peppermint Oil on the In Vitro Survival of Demodex Mites

Demodicosis is a medical condition caused by presence of Demodex mites. Mites may cause ocular demodicosis with symptoms such as burning and itching of eyelids. Currently, several drugs are available for the treatment of demodicosis. However, their use carries a risk of serious side effects. According to recent studies, substances contained in some plant-derived essential oils kill Demodex mites. Good efficacy of tea tree oil against Demodex sp. has been reported. However, some patients develop allergic reactions and ocular irritation in the course of tea tree oil treatment. Tests with essential oils showed that salvia and peppermint oils rapidly kill Demodex-in 7 and 11 minutes, respectively. Salvia is known as a valuable herb and is used to treat eye disease. Therefore, salvia essential oil could be an alternative treatment for demodicosis.

EXPOSURE AND SENSITIZATION TO DUST MITES IN PERUVIAN CITIES.

Background: Knowledge of the prevalence of different species of dust mites according geographical areas is important to support the diagnostic and specific treatment of allergic diseases that dust mites trigger.Methods: Dust samples were collected from mattresses in Peruvian cities grouped by regions; coast (Chiclayo, Trujillo, Chimbote, Lima, Tacna), sierra (Cajamarca, Cusco, Arequipa), jungle (Puerto Maldonado), using an adapted vacuum cleaner. After collection samples were frozen for 48 hours. Mites were extracted from 10 mg of each sample, under stereo microscope, by suspension method with saline solution. Mites were identified by optical microscope. We performed skin prick test (SPT) with standardized mites extracts (ALK-Abello, Laboratorios Leti and Inmunotek, Spain) to subjects who lived in the homes where dust samples were taken.Results: Presence of dust mites was confirmed in almost 90% of samples collected. The predominant species was Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in cities of Peruvian coast, followed by Dermatophagoides farinae, Euroglyphus maynei and Blomia tropicalis. In the jungle, we identified two not previously cited species as Malayoglyphus intermedius and Tarsonemus sp, being this last the predominant specie. Regarding SPT, most of the participants were positive to Dermatophagoides pteronysssinus, followed by Dermatophagoides farinae, Blomia tropicalis, Euroglyphus maynei and Tyrophagus putrescentiae, with different percentages by geographic areas.Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first study on mite count in dust and pattern of sensitization performed in Peru. The acarological fauna and sensitization profile show different percentages depending on geographic areas. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus is the dominant species in the coast, and Tarsonemus sp. in the jungle, though other species can be considered important. Further studies about mite species and sensitization profile (SPT, specific IgE) will elucidate the clinical importance of these findings.

Interactions of Tropilaelaps mercedesae, honey bee viruses and immune response in Apis mellifera

Tropilaelaps mites are the major health threat to Apis mellifera colonies in Asia because of their widespread occurrence, rapid population growth and potential ability to transfer bee viruses. Honey bee immune responses in the presence of feeding mites may occur in response to mite feeding, to the presence of viruses, or to both. In this study, the mRNA expression levels were measured for three antimicrobial peptide encoding genes (abaecin, apidaecin and hymenoptaecin) and a phagocytosis receptor gene (eater) in worker brood infested with different numbers of actively feeding T. mercedesae. Also, all samples were measured for the amount of acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), deformed wing virus (DWV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV) and sacbrood virus (SBV). Using an artificial mite inoculation protocol, the analysis showed that apidaecin was significantly down-regulated when tan-bodied pupae were infested with 1–2 mites and when capping of the cells of newly sealed larvae were opened and closed without mite inoculation (o/c) as compared to the control group (undisturbed brood, no mite inoculation). Reduced transcription levels of the eater gene were also recorded in the o/c group. However, an up-regulation of apidaecin and eater genes was observed in highly infested pupae when compared to o/c group. This occurrence is perhaps due to an adaptive response of the bees to higher mite infestations by up-regulating their immune expression. No significant expression differences were detected for abaecin and hymenoptaecin and the viruses ABPV, KBV and SBV were not detected. However, 86.7% of the pupae were infected with DWV, 83.3% were infected with BQCV and 73% were infected by both of these viruses. In addition, the Tropilaelaps-inoculated pupae showed higher levels and incidence of DWV compared to uninfested pupae. The presence of these two honey bee viruses was not related to the number of T. mercedesae infesting the pupae. Also, the presence of variable levels of DWV and low levels of BQCV did not provoke any expression differences for any of the targeted genes. Overall, this research indicates that feeding by Tropilaelaps mites produces an immune response, that the level of viruses did not produce a correlated immune response by the four genes tested and that Tropilaelaps may be a potential vector of DWV but not to a high degree. The data indicated that the major impact of Tropilaelaps infestation is caused by the mite itself.

Clinical efficacy of 9-oxo-10, 11-dehydroageraphorone extracted from Eupatorium adenophorum against Psoroptes cuniculi in rabbits.

BackgroundAnimal acariasis is one of the important veterinary skin diseases. Chemical drugs have been widely used to treat and control this kind of disease. But many chemicals control could increase resistance in target species, toxicity and environmental hazards. We found that the 9-oxo-10, 11-dehydroageraphorone (euptox A) extracted from E. adenophorum has strong toxicity against P. cuniculi in vitro, but the in vivo acaricidal actions of euptox A have yet to be investigated.ResultsA 14-day experiment was performed using rabbits that were naturally infested with P. cuniculi on a farm. Rabbits were randomly divided into five groups; animals in groups A, B and C were treated in each ear topically with 4.0 ml of 2.0 and 1.0 g/L (w/v) euptox A, respectively. Animals in groups D and E were treated with ivermectin (by injection; positive controls) and glycerol with water only (by embrocation; negative controls), respectively. Each rabbit was treated twice with separate treatments on days 0 and 7. Rabbits were observed daily and detailed examinations were performed on days 0, 7 and 14, to inspect the presence or absence of mites and scabs/crusts. Seven days after the initial treatment, the mean clinical scores (presence of scabs/crusts) decreased from 3.48, 3.37, 3.43 and 3.45 to 0.37, 0.42, 0.78 and 0.38 in the ears of animals in groups A, B , C and D, respectively, which were similar to the observations recorded in the positive control rabbits. However, the clinical score for negative control rabbits did not increase significantly (P > 0.05) during the experiment, and this changed from 3.32 to 3.37 in the ears, and there were no significant differences in clinical efficacy between left and right ears. After two treatments (0 and 7 d), the rabbits in groups A, B, C and D had recovered completely 14 days after the last treatment and no recurrences of infection were observed.ConclusionsThese results indicate that euptox A was potent compounds for the effective control of animal P. cuniculi in vivo.

Cross sectional survey of mange in traditional goats in Gwembe district, Zambia

A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2013 to March 2014 in all the nine veterinary camps in Gwembe district, Zambia in order to evaluate goat keepers‟ knowledge, attitude and practices in relation to mange using a structured questionnaire and to determine its prevalence in animals through clinical examination. The study involved 1638 goats in 125 randomly selected flocks. It was found that diseases and scarcity of feed and water were the major constraints and most farmers (90.4%) indicated mange as an important health constraint. Clinical examination revealed mange in 37.6% of the flocks. Skin scrapings from animals with clinical evidence of mange revealed the presence of mites in 8.7% of the animals. Sarcoptes scabiei was the most (96.0%) recovered mange mite from clinically affected animals, others were Psoroptes (2.0%) and Demodex (2.0%) species. Female goats (p 0.05). This study shows that sarcoptic mange constitutes an important health constraint in goat flocks in Gwembe district and that its control is essential in order to enhance the animals‟ contribution to the livelihood of the resource poor farmers. Key words : Mange mite, Goats, Gwembe district

Defense suppression benefits herbivores that have a monopoly on their feeding site but can backfire within natural communities.

BackgroundPlants have inducible defenses to combat attacking organisms. Hence, some herbivores have adapted to suppress these defenses. Suppression of plant defenses has been shown to benefit herbivores by boosting their growth and reproductive performance.ResultsWe observed in field-grown tomatoes that spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) establish larger colonies on plants already infested with the tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici). Using laboratory assays, we observed that spider mites have a much higher reproductive performance on russet mite-infested plants, similar to their performance on the jasmonic acid (JA)-biosynthesis mutant def-1. Hence, we tested if russet mites suppress JA-responses thereby facilitating spider mites. We found that russet mites manipulate defenses: they induce those mediated by salicylic acid (SA) but suppress those mediated by JA which would otherwise hinder growth. This suppression of JA-defenses occurs downstream of JA-accumulation and is independent from its natural antagonist SA. In contrast, spider mites induced both JA- and SA-responses while plants infested with the two mite species together display strongly reduced JA-responses, yet a doubled SA-response. The spider mite-induced JA-response in the presence of russet mites was restored on transgenic tomatoes unable to accumulate SA (nahG), but russet mites alone still did not induce JA-responses on nahG plants. Thus, indirect facilitation of spider mites by russet mites depends on the antagonistic action of SA on JA while suppression of JA-defenses by russet mites does not. Furthermore, russet mite-induced SA-responses inhibited secondary infection by Pseudomonas syringae (Pst) while not affecting the mite itself. Finally, while facilitating spider mites, russet mites experience reduced population growth.ConclusionsOur results show that the benefits of suppressing plant defenses may diminish within communities with natural competitors. We show that suppression of defenses via the JA-SA antagonism can be a consequence, rather than the cause, of a primary suppression event and that its overall effect is determined by the presence of competing herbivores and the distinct palette of defenses these induce. Thus, whether or not host-defense manipulation improves an herbivore’s fitness depends on interactions with other herbivores via induced-host defenses, implicating bidirectional causation of community structure of herbivores sharing a plant.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-014-0098-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Predators marked with chemical cues from one prey have increased attack success on another prey species

1. To reduce the risk of being eaten by predators, prey alter their morphology or behaviour. This response can be tuned to the current danger if chemical or other cues associated with predators inform the prey about the risks involved. 2. It is well known that various prey species discriminate between chemical cues from predators that fed on conspecific prey and those that fed on heterospecific prey, and react stronger to the first. It is therefore expected that generalist predators are more successful in capturing a given prey species when they are contaminated with chemical cues from another prey species instead of cues from the same prey species. 3. Here, a generalist predatory mite was studied that feeds on thrips larvae as well as on whitefly eggs and crawlers. Mites were marked with cues (i.e. body fluids) of one of these two prey species and were subsequently offered thrips larva. 4. Predators marked with thrips cues killed significantly fewer thrips than predators marked with whitefly cues, even though the predator's tendency to attack was the same. In addition, more thrips larvae sought refuge in the presence of a predatory mite marked with thrips cues instead of whitefly cues. 5. This suggests that generalist predators may experience improved attack success when switching prey species.

Cat affected with sarcoptic mange in Y. S. R. District of Andhra Pradesh, India

Sarcoptes scabiei infestation in cats was rare. A 1-year-old tom cat was presented to the clinic with recurrent dermatitis, emaciation, severe itching and presence of skin lesions over the face, forehead and ears. Microscopic examination of skin scrapings from the skin lesions revealed the presence of mites. Based on the morphology of the mites, sarcoptic mange was confirmed. Cat was treated with parenteral ivermectin and supportive therapy. Complete recovery was observed by the fifteenth day of treatment.

Infestation of grasses by eriophyoid mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea) in Turkey

Despite the economic importance of eriophyoid mites as agricultural pests, especially of cereal crops, knowledge of the eriophyoid fauna in Turkey remains incomplete. This article presents the results of a 3-year study on grass-infesting eriophyoid mites in Turkey. The aim of this study was to collect and identify eriophyoid species infesting wild and cultivated grasses and to estimate the degree of overall mite infestation on grasses. The study involved both qualitative samples (to record the presence or absence of mites) and quantitative samples (to investigate the parameters of mite infestation: viz. prevalence, intensity and density). Seven eriophyoid species – Aceria tosichella (Keifer, 1969), Abacarus hystrix (Nalepa, 1896), Abacarus lolii Skoracka, 2009, Aculodes holcusi Skoracka, 2004, Aculodes dubius (Nalepa, 1891), Abacarus longilobus Skoracka, 2002, Aculodes sp. nov. – were collected from grasses in the course of this study. Quantitative data were available for the first four of these species, and parameters of infestation differed greatly among the hosts. Aceria tosichella was the species infesting the largest number of grass species, and A. hystrix was the species with the highest values of prevalence and density on wheat. New host species for A. tosichella were reported, including Dactylis glomerata, Bromus sclerophyllus, Eremopyrum orientale, Lolium temulentum and Poa bulbosa, all for the first time in Turkey.

Pheromonal Communication in the European House Dust Mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.

Despite the sanitary importance of the European house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart, 1897), the pheromonal communication in this species has not been sufficiently studied. Headspace analysis using solid phase micro extraction (SPME) revealed that nerol, neryl formate, pentadecane, (6Z,9Z)-6,9-heptadecadiene, and (Z)-8-heptadecene are released by both sexes whereas neryl propionate was released by males only. Tritonymphs did not produce any detectable volatiles. In olfactometer experiments, pentadecane and neryl propionate were attractive to both sexes as well as to tritonymphs. (Z)-8-heptadecene was only attractive to male mites. Therefore it is discussed that pentadecane and neryl propionate are aggregation pheromones and (Z)-8-heptadecene is a sexual pheromone of the European house dust mite D. pteronyssinus. To study the potential use of pheromones in dust mite control, long-range olfactometer experiments were conducted showing that mites can be attracted to neryl propionate over distances of at least 50 cm. This indicates that mite pheromones might be useable to monitor the presence or absence of mites in the context of control strategies.

Characterisation of ecto- and endoparasites in domestic cats from Tirana, Albania.

During 2008 to 2011, faecal samples, ear swabs, and ectoparasites obtained by full body search and total body comb were collected from 252 cats originating from the greater Tirana area. Faecal samples were examined using the McMaster and Baermann techniques, and a subset of 58 samples was tested for Giardia-specific antigen using a coproantigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ear swabs were examined for the presence of parasitic mites. Overall, almost 93% of the cats were identified harbouring one or more parasites: 59.1% (95% confidence interval (CI), 53.0-65.0) and 86.9% (95% CI, 82.7-91.1) of the cats tested positive for ecto- or endoparasites, respectively; 53.2% of the cats had evidence for concomitant ectoparasite infestation and endoparasite infection. For ectoparasite infestation, prevalence was 52.0% for total fleas (Ctenocephalides felis, 51.2%; Ctenocephalides canis, 2.0%; and Leptopsylla segnis, 0.4%), 8.3% each for Felicola subrostratus and Otodectes cynotis and 4.0 % for Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. The most prevalent endoparasites were Toxocara ascarids (48.0%), followed by Aelurostrongylus lungworms (39.7%), Capillaria spp. (31.7%), hookworms (32.9%), dipylidiid cestodes (27.8 %), Cystoisospora spp. (23.4%) and taeniid cestodes (2.0%). One animal was found shedding Pseudamphistomum truncatum eggs. Giardia-specific antigen was detected in 29.3% of the 58 cats tested. Mixed infections with up to six endoparasites concurrently (excluding Giardia) and mixed infestations with two or three species of ectoparasites were recorded in 73.1 and 22.8% of the parasite-positive cats, respectively. Cats ≤9 months of age were more frequently tested (p < 0.05) positive for Toxocara and Cystoisospora infections than cats >9 months while these cats tested more often (p < 0.05) Aelurostrongylus-positive compared with the younger cats. The prevalence of infestation with ectoparasites did not differ between the cats of these two age groups. Given the impact that some of the parasites may have upon animal health as well as the zoonotic potential of some of them, measures should be taken to minimise the transmission of these parasites.

The study of toxicological properties of “metroxal” cream

The presence of Demodex folliculorum mites exacerbates the number of dermatological conditions, such as rosacea and perioral dermatitis, and complicates their treatment. Development and introduction of medicines with the complex action in practical medicine exhibiting anti-parasitic properties against Demodex folliculorum and possessing the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, capillary-restorative, anti-edemic, antioxidant and anti-allergic effect are of great current interest. One of the stages of introduction of new medicines is to study toxicity, which allows to assess their safety. Acute toxicity, the skin-irritant effect of the cream containing metronidazole, salicylic acid, troxerutin and essential oil of lemon balm, as well as its anti-alterative activity have been experimentally investigated on the model of non-allergic contact subchronic dermatitis caused by turpentine. The results obtained show no toxicity and skin-irritant effect of the cream with a single topical application to rats in the doses of 500 and 15000 mg/kg; it allows to refer it to Class VI of practically non-toxic substances (LD > 15000 mg/kg) in accordance with the generally accepted classification of K.K.Sidorov. As a result of the study of the anti-alternative activity on the model of non-allergic contact subchronic dermatitis caused by turpentine it has been found that the cream under research reveals the anti-inflammatory action.

Storage mite contamination of commercial dry dog food in south-eastern Australia.

To evaluate contamination of unopened and opened stored sources of commercial dry dog food by viable storage mites. Prospective laboratory and field study. Samples were collected from nine brands of previously unopened bags (new bags) of dry food and 20 field sources of stored dry food in homes in Sydney and Canberra, Australia. All samples were initially examined for the presence of mites using a stereo-binocular microscope and then placed in separate filter-paper-sealed containers. Field samples were incubated at an average temperature of 29°C and 78% relative humidity (RH) for 5 weeks and then at average 26°C/83% RH for 8 weeks. Paired new-bag samples were stored under room conditions (average 23°C/47% RH) and controlled incubator conditions (average 26°C/80% RH) for 6 weeks. All samples were thoroughly examined for mites, mite eggs and visible mould once weekly using a stereo-binocular microscope. Storage mites were not visualised in any of the field samples or in new-bag samples stored at room temperature. Storage mites, identified as Tyrophagus putrescentiae, were visualised in increasing numbers in seven of nine new-bag samples after incubation, with first mites and then eggs evident after 3 weeks of incubation. We confirmed the presence of viable storage mites in a range of previously unopened commercial dry dog foods in Australia and confirmed the possibility of heavy storage mite contamination for dry food stored under conditions of moderate temperature and high humidity. These findings have relevance to storage mite and/or dust mite sensitivity in canine atopic dermatitis.

Interactions between microbial-feeding and predatory soil fauna trigger N2O emissions

Recent research has shown that microbial-feeding invertebrate soil fauna species can significantly contribute to N2O emissions. However, in soil food webs microbial-feeding soil fauna interact with each other and with their predators, which affects microbial activity. To date we lack empirical tests of whether or not these interactions play a significant role in N2O emissions from soil. Therefore we studied how interactions between soil microbes, two groups of microbial-feeding soil fauna (enchytraeids and fungivorous mites) and their predators (predatory mites) affect soil N2O emissions. We hypothesized that: 1) the presence of two microbial-feeding fauna groups (enchytraeids and fungivorous mites) together increase N2O emissions more than when only a single group is present; and 2) the addition of predatory mites further enhances N2O emissions. We assembled soil food webs consisting of soil microbes, enchytraeids, fungivorous and predatory mites in microcosms with sandy loamy soil and sterilised hay as a substrate for the soil microbes. N2O emissions were measured during 56 days. We found no support for our first yet support for our second hypothesis. Addition of predatory mites to microcosms with enchytraeids and fungivorous mites increased N2O emissions significantly from 135.3 to 482.1 mg N m−2, which was also significantly higher than the control without fauna (83 mg N m−2) (P < 0.001). In presence of enchytraeids, fungivorous and predatory mites, we found much higher nitrate availability at the time of the N2O peak on Day 35 (10.9 versus 5.5 mg N per kg soil without soil fauna), indicating that the major increase in N2O emissions in this treatment may be due to increased nitrification. Increased nitrification may be attributed to higher availability of N from the dead tissues of fungivorous mites and increased activity of the enchytraeids that might also have affected soil structure and contributed to increased N2O emissions. This study demonstrates the importance of interactions between microbial-feeding invertebrate soil fauna and their predators in understanding N2O emissions.

A qualitative study of Eutrombidiidae and Erythraeidae, ectoparasites on Orthoptera, in two grassland areas of Attica – Greece

The aim of the present paper was the study of the parasitism of Orthoptera by ectoparasitic mites during the years 2007 and 2008 in two grassland areas in the Attica region of Greece. Individual orthopterans, collected from a lowland and a mountainous grassland area between May and October over two years, were examined for the presence of ectoparasitic mites. Parasitism rate for total orthopterans inspected in the lowland area was 7.3% and 4.6% in 2007 and 2008, respectively, while in the mountainous area, 3.7% and 6.6% for the two respective years. In both years, most parasitized individuals were recorded between June and October and were adults of the family Acrididae. Most of the ectoparasitic mites were Eutrombidium robauxi (Acari: Eutrombidiidae) in the lowland area and species of Abrolophus, Leptus and Charletonia (Acari: Erythraeidae) in the mountainous area. The intensity of infestation was higher in the lowland area compared to the mountainous in 2007, while no differences were observed between the two areas in 2008. Eutrombidium robauxi was always attached to the veins of the hind wings while Erythraeidae were also found to be attached to other parts of the hosts’ bodies.

Clinical efficacy of 9-oxo-10, 11-dehydroageraphorone extracted from Eupatorium adenophorum against Psoroptes cuniculi in rabbits

Animal acariasis is one of the important veterinary skin diseases. Chemical drugs have been widely used to treat and control this kind of disease. But many chemicals control could increase resistance in target species, toxicity and environmental hazards. We found that the 9-oxo-10, 11-dehydroageraphorone (euptox A) extracted from E. adenophorum has strong toxicity against P. cuniculi in vitro, but the in vivo acaricidal actions of euptox A have yet to be investigated. A 14-day experiment was performed using rabbits that were naturally infested with P. cuniculi on a farm. Rabbits were randomly divided into five groups; animals in groups A, B and C were treated in each ear topically with 4.0 ml of 2.0 and 1.0 g/L (w/v) euptox A, respectively. Animals in groups D and E were treated with ivermectin (by injection; positive controls) and glycerol with water only (by embrocation; negative controls), respectively. Each rabbit was treated twice with separate treatments on days 0 and 7. Rabbits were observed daily and detailed examinations were performed on days 0, 7 and 14, to inspect the presence or absence of mites and scabs/crusts. Seven days after the initial treatment, the mean clinical scores (presence of scabs/crusts) decreased from 3.48, 3.37, 3.43 and 3.45 to 0.37, 0.42, 0.78 and 0.38 in the ears of animals in groups A, B , C and D, respectively, which were similar to the observations recorded in the positive control rabbits. However, the clinical score for negative control rabbits did not increase significantly (P > 0.05) during the experiment, and this changed from 3.32 to 3.37 in the ears, and there were no significant differences in clinical efficacy between left and right ears. After two treatments (0 and 7 d), the rabbits in groups A, B, C and D had recovered completely 14 days after the last treatment and no recurrences of infection were observed. These results indicate that euptox A was potent compounds for the effective control of animal P. cuniculi in vivo.

Neotrombicula inopinata (Acari: Trombiculidae) - a possible causative agent of trombiculiasis in Europe.

BackgroundFor over a decade, the presence of trombiculid mites in some mountain areas of La Rioja (Northern Spain) and their association with seasonal human dermatitis have been recognized. This work aimed to establish the species identity of the agent causing trombiculiasis in the study area.MethodsTrombiculid larvae (chigger mites) were collected from vegetation in the Sierra Cebollera Natural Park and in Sierra La Hez during an outbreak of human trombiculiasis in 2010. Three specimens collected from a bird were also examined. Identification was made using morphological and morphometric traits based on the most recent taxonomic sources. A comparison of those mites with specimens of the same species collected throughout Europe was performed by means of cluster analysis with multiscale bootstrap resampling and calculation of approximately unbiased p-values.ResultsAll collected mites were identified as Neotrombicula inopinata (Oudemans, 1909). Therefore, this species is the most likely causative agent of trombiculiasis in Spain, not Neotrombicula autumnalis (Shaw, 1790), as it was generally assumed. No chigger was identified as N. autumnalis in the study area. Neotrombicula inopinata clearly differs from N. autumnalis in the presence of eight or more setae in the 1st and 2nd rows of dorsal idiosomal setae vs. six setae in N. autumnalis. Comparison of N. inopinata samples from different locations shows significant geographic variability in morphometric traits. Samples from Western and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus formed three separate clusters.ConclusionSince the taxonomical basis of many studies concerning N. autumnalis as a causative agent of trombiculiasis is insufficient, it is highly possible that N. inopinata may be hiding behind the common name of “harvest bug” in Europe, together with N. autumnalis.

Occurrences and Distributions of Honeybee (Apis mellifera Jemenetica)Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) in Tigray Region, Ethiopia

One of the key steps in successful beekeeping depends on the ability to identify encountering problems as early as possible. Widespread losses of honeybee colonies have been reported from Tigray region, Ethiopia due to unknown factor(s). With objective of identifying possible reasons for the honeybee colony death and dwindling, diagnostic survey was conducted in 10 districts of Tigray region in October and November, 2010. Totally 200 honeybee colonies were randomly sampled and inspected internally and externally for adult bee brood diseases and pests. All the surveyed areas tested positive to varroa mite with infection levels ranging 37.5% to 100%. With no clues on how and when the mite introduced, high bee colony mobility (marketing), ranches to and from which bee colonies collected and redistributed. Natural bee colony swarm and migration are regarded as causing high rates of varroa mite distributions in the region. The first testimonial for the existence (occurrence) of varroa mite was considered to be extensive loss of honeybee colonies. But what are less certain are the magnitudes of its effects on honeybees and their products in the region. For the region with special white honey and with high government focus on beekeeping, the occurrence of varroa mite is a great threat to the subsector. This study reported, for the first time, the presence of varroa mite and indicated the most likely occurrence of varroa mite attendant disease called DWV in the country. Therefore, parallel to setting up of control experiments in identifying the mite species and its effects on honeybees and their products, special apiculture extension should be designed to curtail factors enhancing intra and inter apiaries disseminations of the mite. Beside the investigation of varroa mite, for the first time, this study unveiled the newly added genetic material to biodiversity of the country.