Descriptions are presented of new species of water mites from two mountains in the Malaysian part of Borneo. A new subgenus of the genus Javalbia (Hygrobatidae), i.e. Megapes n. subgen., and 34 new species are described: Limnocharidae: Limnochares (Limnochares) spinosa n. sp.; Oxidae: Oxus (Oxus) fuscus n. sp.; Hydryphantidae: Protzia borneoensis n. sp.; Sperchontidae: Sperchon kinabaluensis n. sp., Sperchonopsis orientalis n. sp.; Hygrobatidae: Hygrobates (Hygrobates) acutipalpis n. sp., H. (Hygrobates) hamatoides n. sp., H. (Hygrobates) striatus n. sp., Atractides (Atractides) neospatiosus n. sp., A. (Atractides) sabahensis n. sp., A. (Atractides) crockerensis n. sp., A. (Atractides) curtisetus n. sp., A.(Tympanomegapus) borneoensis n. sp.; Frontipodopsidae: Frontipodopsis suturalis n. sp.; Aturidae: Javalbia (Javalbia) montana n. sp., J. (Javalbia) solitaria n. sp., J. (Javalbiopsis) borneoensis n. sp., J. (Javalbiopsis) kinabaluensis n. sp., J. (Javalbiopsis) magniseta n. sp., J. (Javalbiopsis) reticulata n. sp., J. (Megapes) uncinata n. sp., Albaxona mahuaensis n. sp., Axonopsis (Axonopsis) longigenitalis n. sp., A. (Axonopsis) rugosa n. sp., A. (Paraxonopsis) truncata n. sp., A. (Brachypodopsis) latipalpis n. sp., A. (Vicinaxonopsis) caeca n. sp., Erebaxonopsis kipungitensis n. sp., Ljania inconspicua n. sp., L. obliterata n. sp., Albia (Albiella) crocker n. sp., Aturus borneoensis n. sp.; Athienemanniidae: Africasia acuticoxalis n. sp.; Arrenuridae: Thoracophoracarus uniacetabulatus n. sp. A key is presented for the Javalbia species of Borneo. New records are given for 10 further species. In the course of revisional work, lectotypes are designated for the following species: Atractides cognatus (K. Viets) and A. propatulus (K. Viets).
A new genus Trachyibana gen. nov. is described and illustrated on the basis of Trachyibana sarawakiensis sp. nov. from Malaysia. The new genus belongs to the family Trachyuropodidae, on the basis of its fringed internal malae, the T-shaped dorsal setae and the position of hypostomal setae h3 (lateral to h1-h2-h4). The new genus differs from the other trachyuropodid genera and species by its lemon-shaped idiosoma, the presence of deep opisthogastric ventral furrows, and the absence of strongly sclerotised dorsal structures.
The genus Austronothrus was previously known from three species recorded only from New Zealand. Austronothrus kinabalu sp. nov. is described from Sabah, Borneo and A. rostralis sp. nov. from Norfolk Island, south-west Pacific. A key to Austronothrus is included. These new species extend the distribution of Austronothrus beyond New Zealand and confirms that the subfamily Crotoniinae is not confined to former Gondwanan landmasses. The distribution pattern of Austronothrus spp., combining Oriental and Gondwanan localities, is indicative of a curved, linear track; consistent with the accretion of island arcs and volcanic terranes around the plate margins of the Pacific Ocean, with older taxa persisting on younger island though localised dispersal within island arc metapopulations. Phylogenetic analysis and an area cladogram are consistent with a broad ancestral distribution of Austronothrus in the Oriental region and on Gondwanan terranes, with subsequent divergence and distribution southward from the Sunda region to New Zealand. This pattern is more complex than might be expected if the New Zealand oribatid fauna was derived from dispersal following re-emergence of land after inundation during the Oligocene (25 mya), as well as if the fauna emanated from endemic, relictual taxa following separation of New Zealand from Gondwana during the Cretaceous (80 mya).
Matched MeSH terms: Mites/anatomy & histology; Mites/classification*; Mites/growth & development
The gamasine genus Berlesia Canestrini, 1884, is revived and further diagnosed, based on descriptions of adult females, males and nymphs of three new species (B. hospitabilis sp. nov., B. multisetosa sp. nov., B. vorontsovi sp. nov.) ectoparasitic on raspy crickets of three genera of Gryllacrididae (Ensifera) from Australia and the Philippines. A tight sister relationship of Berlesia with the monobasic genus Katydiseius Fain Lukoschus, 1983, known only from a pseudophylline katydid in Malaysia, is proposed. The subfamily Katydiseiinae Fain Lukoschus, 1983 (previously included in the family Otopheidomenidae in the superfamily Phytoseioidea) is redefined to include only those two genera, and moved to the dermanyssoid family Laelapidae, while its previously other monobasic genus, Eickwortius Zhang, 1995, is retained tentatively in the family Otopheidomenidae. Among other taxa relevant to Katydiseiinae reviewed here, Berlesia cultrigera Berlese, 1910a is transferred to the genus Orthopteroseius Mo, 1996, at present Otopheidomenidae, as Orthopteroseius cultrigerum (Berlese) comb. nov., and Berlesia nuda Berlese, 1910b is transferred to the genus Prasadiseius Wainstein, 1972, at present Otopheidomenidae, as Prasadiseius nudum (Berlese) comb. nov. A key to the two genera and five species recognized as belonging in Katydiseiinae is presented. Notable morphological traits of Berlesia, including only deutonymphs equipped with well-developed claws and males with dimorphically more elongated salivary stylets, are discussed. The one known life cycle of a species of Berlesia, B. hospitabilis sp. nov., includes protonymphipary, followed by a fully functioning deutonymph, and male copulation with pharate females-traits, rarely or not known among gamasine mite associates of invertebrates. The possible significance of elongate spermatodactyls and male reduced feeding are explored.
This paper reveals the hotspots of new mite discovery through of a survey of type localities of new Trombidiformes species described in two journals (Systematic & Applied Acarology and Zootaxa) during the last three years (2013-2015). Taxonomically, the 491 new species of the Trombidiformes are highly unevenly distributed among 55 families with top 10 families accounting for over 66% of the total. The Eriophyidae is the top-ranked family. Geographically, these 491 new species are from 55 countries around the world and their distribution among the countries is highly uneven. The majority of these new species (69%) are from the top 10 countries and six of the top ten countries are also megadiversity countries. The top three countries are all from Asia (Iran, China and Malaysia) and they together accounted for over one third of all new species of the Trombidiformes described in the two journals during 2013-2015.
Two new species of the family Eriophyidae (Acari: Eriophyoidea) from Mount Trusmadi, Malaysia, are described and illustrated. They are Neodicrothrix grandcaputus sp. nov. on Stachyurus himalaicus (Stachyuraceae) and Latitudo asiaticis sp. nov. on Psychotria asiatica (Rubiaceae). Both of the two new species are vagrant on the lower leaf surface. No damage to the host was observed. In addition to the description, a key to species of Neodicrothrix is provided.
Two new intertidal oribatid mite species from the Indo-pacific region are described. Indopacifica iohanna sp. n. was found on the coasts of the Philippines and can be distinguished from its congeners by the lack of a ventral tooth on the claws. The larva and nymphs of this species show the same type of plication and setation typical for juveniles of other selenoribatid mites. Indopacifica mauritiana sp. n. was discovered on the coast of Mauritius and can be separated from its congeners by possessing only vestigial lamellar setae. A morphometric comparison of these two species and Indopacifica pantai from Thailand and Malaysia showed a clear separation between the three species. The known distribution of the genus Indopacifica stretches now from Mauritius in the West to the Philippines in the East and further occurrences within this area should be expected.
The dragon millipede genus Desmoxytes s.l. is split into five genera, based on morphological characters and preliminary molecular phylogenetic analyses. The present article includes a review of Desmoxytes s.s., while future articles will deal with Hylomus Cook and Loomis, 1924 and three new genera which preliminarily are referred to as the 'acantherpestes', 'gigas', and 'spiny' groups. Diagnostic morphological characters of each group are discussed. Hylomus is resurrected as a valid genus and the following 33 species are assigned to it: H. asper (Attems, 1937), comb. n., H. cattienensis (Nguyen, Golovatch & Anichkin, 2005), comb. n., H. cervarius (Attems, 1953), comb. n., H. cornutus (Zhang & Li, 1982), comb. n., H. draco Cook & Loomis, 1924, stat. rev., H. enghoffi (Nguyen, Golovatch & Anichkin, 2005), comb. n., H. eupterygotus (Golovatch, Li, Liu & Geoffroy, 2012), comb. n., H. getuhensis (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2014), comb. n., H. grandis (Golovatch, VandenSpiegel & Semenyuk, 2016), comb. n., H. hostilis (Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994), comb. n., H. jeekeli (Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994), comb. n., H. lingulatus (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2014), comb. n., H. laticollis (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016), comb. n., H. longispinus (Loksa, 1960), comb. n., H. lui (Golovatch, Li, Liu & Geoffroy, 2012), comb. n., H. minutuberculus (Zhang, 1986), comb. n., H. nodulosus (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2014), comb. n., H. parvulus (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2014), comb. n., H. phasmoides (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016), comb. n., H. pilosus (Attems, 1937), comb. n., H. proximus (Nguyen, Golovatch & Anichkin, 2005), comb. n., H. rhinoceros (Likhitrakarn, Golovatch & Panha, 2015), comb. n., H. rhinoparvus (Likhitrakarn, Golovatch & Panha, 2015), comb. n., H. scolopendroides (Golovatch, Geoffroy & Mauriès, 2010), comb. n., H. scutigeroides (Golovatch, Geoffroy & Mauriès, 2010), comb. n., H. similis (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016), comb. n., H. simplex (Golovatch, VandenSpiegel & Semenyuk, 2016), comb. n., H. simplipodus (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016), comb. n., H. specialis (Nguyen, Golovatch & Anichkin, 2005), comb. n., H. spectabilis (Attems, 1937), comb. n., H. spinitergus (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016), comb. n., H. spinissimus (Golovatch, Li, Liu & Geoffroy, 2012), comb. n. and H. variabilis (Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016), comb. n.Desmoxytes s.s. includes the following species: D. breviverpa Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2016; D. cervina (Pocock,1895); D. delfae (Jeekel, 1964); D. des Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2016; D. pinnasquali Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2016; D. planata (Pocock, 1895); D. purpurosea Enghoff, Sutcharit & Panha, 2007; D. takensis Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2016; D. taurina (Pocock, 1895); D. terae (Jeekel, 1964), all of which are re-described based mainly on type material. Two new synonyms are proposed: Desmoxytes pterygota Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994, syn. n. (= Desmoxytes cervina (Pocock, 1895)), Desmoxytes rubra Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994, syn. n. (= Desmoxytes delfae (Jeekel, 1964)). Six new species are described from Thailand: D. aurata Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, sp. n., D. corythosaurus Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, sp. n., D. euros Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, sp. n., D. flabella Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, sp. n., D. golovatchi Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, sp. n., D. octoconigera Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, sp. n., as well as one from Malaysia: D. perakensis Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, sp. n., and one from Myanmar: D. waepyanensis Srisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, sp. n. The species can mostly be easily distinguished by gonopod structure in combination with other external characters; some cases of particularly similar congeners are discussed. All species of Desmoxytes s.s. seem to be endemic to continental Southeast Asia (except the 'tramp' species D. planata). Some biological observations (relationship with mites, moulting) are recorded for the first time. Complete illustrations of external morphological characters, an identification key, and distribution maps of all species are provided.
Edible bird nests (EBNs) are consumed worldwide for various health benefits. EBNs are nests built from the saliva of swiftlets of Aerodramus species. The global market for EBNs is on the rise, especially from Hong Kong and mainland China. In the past, EBNs were harvested mainly from natural caves; however in the recent years, there has been a rapid growth of swiftlet farming. Little is known about the actual composition of EBNs except for protein, carbohydrate, ash and lipid contents, amino acids, vitamins and macro/ micronutrients. Besides the biochemical components of EBNs, are there any other structures that are associated with EBNs? This paper reports on the structural analysis of raw unprocessed farm and processed commercial EBNs. The raw EBNs were purchased from swiftlet farms in five locations in Peninsula Malaysia: Kuala Sanglang (Perlis; 6° 16' 0"N, 100° 12' 0"E), Pantai Remis (Perak; 4º 27' 0" N, 100º 38' 0" E), Kluang (Johor; 02º 012 303N 103º 192 583E), Kajang (Selangor; 2º 59' 0"N, 101º 47' 0"E) and Kota Bharu (Kelantan; 6º 8' 0"N, 102º 15' 0"E). The commercial nests were purchased from five different Chinese traditional medicinal shops (Companies A-E). A portion of each EBN was randomly broken into small fragments, attached to carbon tape and coated with gold and palladium particles for examination and photography under a scanning electron microscope. Structural analysis revealed the presence of mites, fungi, bacteria and feather strands on both the raw and commercial nests. Mite eggshells and faecal pellets, and body parts of other arthropods were seen only in the raw nests. The commercial nests had a variety of unidentified structures and substances coated on the nests' surfaces that were not found on the raw nests. The presence of these contaminants may jeopardise the quality of EBNs and pose health risks to consumers. Further identification of the mites and their allergens, fungi and bacteria are on-going and will be reported separately.
The cat fur mite, Lynxacarus radovskyi Tenorio, 1974 (Acarina: Astigmata: Listrophoridae) is reported from cats, Felis catus from three sites in peninsular Malaysia. The first site is a Malay village, Kampong Menteri in Taiping, Perak, where the mites were found on local pet cats. The other two sites are urban cities of Kuala Lumpur, in the Federal Territory and Georgetown, in the island of Penang. Mites from the urban areas were collected from stray cats. Although several ectoparasites (fleas, mites, ticks and lice) have been previously reported, L. radovskyi is recorded herein for the first time on cats from peninsular Malaysia.
A total of 204 rodents comprising 14 host species from four different habitats were examined. Nine rodent species were trapped from the forest and another five species were trapped from the coastal, rice field and urban habitats. Rattus rattus diardii (67%) was the predominant rodent species examined. Fifty six (47.3%) rodents and shrews were found to be infested with at least one of the 20 species of ectoparasite recovered. Mites belonging to the family Trombiculidae were the predominant ectoparasite species recovered. Ticks belonging to the family Ixodidae were recovered mainly from the forest dwelling rodents. Polyplax spinulosa and Hoplopleura pacifica were the common lice species found infesting the urban rodents. Xenopsylla cheopis was the only flea species recovered. The following ecto-parasites have been incriminated as important vectors or as mechanical carriers for the transmission of zoonotic diseases: Ixodes granulatus, Dermacentor sp. Haemaphysalis sp., Amblyomma sp. Ascoschoengastia indica, Leptotrombidium deliense, Ornithonyssus bacoti, Laelaps nuttalli, H. pacifica, P. spinulosa and Xenopsylla cheopis. Urban and forest rodents were significantly higher in ecto-parasitic infestation, compared to rats from the other two habitats. However, there was no significant statistical association between male and female rodents infested with ectoparasites.
Trapping of small mammals was conducted at 5 study sites in Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP) from 20-24 June 2005. A total of 11 animals comprising 2 species of rodents, Maxomys whiteheadi and Rattus exulans were caught from 3 sites, i.e from an area of mixed secondary forest and mangrove swamp; an area of mangrove swamp, and from an area of lalang fringing mangrove swamp. From these animals, the following 7 species of ectoparasites were found: Laelaps echidninus, Laelaps nuttalli, Ascoschoengastia indica, Leptotrombidium deliense, Hoplopleura pectinata, Hoplopleura pacifica and Polyplax spinulosa. One of the ectoparasites found, L. deliense is a known vector of scrub typhus and thus may pose potential health risks to visitors to KSNP.
Some 2,000 species of mites of the family Trombiculidae are known in the world. The 6-legged larvae are mostly ectoparasites of reptiles, birds, mammals and invertebrates. Their 8-legged active nymphs and adults are free-living predators. In the Asia-Pacific region, a few species in various genera are vectors of scrub typhus and scrub-itch. In this a paper, a very bizarre trombiculid species, Vatacarus ipoides Southcott 1957, endoparasitic in the trachea of the amphibious sea snake, Laticauda colubrina (Schenider) is re-described based mostly on new-born larvae reared in the laboratory. Life history study of the mite produced very novel and interesting results. A brief account of the life-cycle was presented at the first laboratory demonstration of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine Meeting by Nadchatram and Audy (1965). The life history is illustrated and described here in greater detail. The active nymphal, and the akinetic teleiophane stages are bypassed, which is unusual in the life-cycle of the family Trombiculidae. Also, the larva is the only stage in the life-cycle that feeds. The sexes are predetermined in the larval neosomatic stage and give rise to small males and bigger females. Having obtained adults of the species, by rearing, it is deemed unnecessary for the original proposal by Southcott to erect a new family, Vatacaridae, because the adults share all the attributes of the family Trombiculidae. The male and female obtained through laboratory rearing are illustrated for the first time. Relationship of V. ipoides with Laticauda snakes show close host-specificity, in a group of acarines that are generally habitat-specific. Possible explanations for their association are discussed. The unusual morphology and the formation of new structures during an instar is of ontogenetic and evolutionary importance. The hypertrophic larvae are superficially vermiform, rather than typically acarine in shape. This, and other biological features, necessitated the proposal of new morphological terms, and they are discussed here.
Studies on parasite populations in Antarctic soils are scarce and thus little is known about the threat of these parasites towards either the natural fauna or human visitors. However, human presence in Antarctica, mainly through research and tourism, keeps increasing over time, potentially exposing visitors to zoonotic infections from Antarctic wildlife and environment. Most available literature to date has focused on faecal samples from Antarctic vertebrates. Therefore, this study addressed the possible presence of parasites in Antarctic soil that may be infectious to humans. Soil samples were obtained from five locations on Signy Island (South Orkney Islands, maritime Antarctic), namely North Point and Gourlay Peninsula (penguin rookeries), Pumphouse (relic coal-powered pump house), Jane Col (barren high altitude fellfield) and Berntsen Point (low altitude vegetated fellfield close to current research station). Approximately 10% of the soil samples (14/135) from 3 out of the 5 study sites had parasites which included Diphyllobotridae spp. eggs, Cryptosporidium sp., an apicomplexan protozoa (gregarine), Toxoplasma gondii, helminths (a cestode, Tetrabothrius sp., and a nematode larva) and mites. The presence of parasites in the 3 sites are most likely due to the presence of animal and human activities as two of these sites are penguin rookeries (North Point and Gourlay Peninsula) while the third site (Pumphouse Lake) has human activity. While some of the parasite species found in the soil samples appear to be distinctive, there were also parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma gondii that have a global distribution and are potentially pathogenic.
Canine demodicosis is a common skin disorder with multiple risk factors, including age and breed predisposition. There is relatively limited information about the risk factors for canine demodicosis in large canine populations. This retrospective case-control study was conducted by searching the electronic records of dogs with skin lesions for the presence of Demodex mites in skin scrapings. Diagnosis of demodicosis was based on the presence of skin lesions and mites in skin scrapings. Multivariate analysis was conducted using logistic regression analysis to estimate the relative risk and odds ratio of variables hypothesized to influence the risk of canine demodicosis, such as age, sex, breed, season, and parasitic infection. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a positive correlation between the dogs' age and demodicosis. Dogs older than three years, as well as puppies, had a high risk of demodicosis (P0.05). Breeds with the greatest association (odds ratio) with demodicosis included the American Staffordshire Terrier (OR=0.9) and Moscow Watchdog (OR=0.2). The presence of intestinal parasites, such as Diphyllobothrium latum, was significantly associated with demodicosis.
This is the first record of phoretic histiostomatid mites found on a forensically important blow fly species, Chrysomya villeneuvi (Diptera: Calliphoridae), collected from decomposing rabbit carcasses placed in Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve, Sungai Buloh and MARDI Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. The blow flies frequenting around the carcasses were first captured using an insect net. After pinning, they were examined under a stereomicroscope and mites phoretic on their body were carefully removed and preserved in 70% ethanol. Mites were cleared in lactic acid before mounting on slides using Hoyer's medium and identified under a compound microscope. The flies and their mites were identified as C. villeneuvi and deutonymphs of Histiostoma spp. (Astigmata: Histiostomatidae), respectively. This insectmite association may be useful to provide insights regarding the minimum post-mortem interval and the location of death in forensic entomological investigations.
A survey on mange mite infestations in the aetiology of skin lesions in goats in Peninsular Malaysia is described. Skin lesions were observed in 25 (93%) of the 27 goat farms investigated. Mange mites were found in 22 (88%) of these goat herds. Chorioptes texanus was found in 20.7%, Psoroptes cuniculi in 19.3%, Sarcoptes scabiei in 18.6% and Demodex canis var. caprae in 0.4% of the samples, taken from the skin lesions. Thirteen cases of generalised manage were diagnosed, from which 9 were caused by S. scabiei, 2 by P. cuniculi and one by C. texanus. All other cases had more or less localised lesions. No significant differences could be found in incidence and distribution of skin lesions between age classes.
Birds are easily infested with ectoparasites due to their fitness, foraging behaviour, nesting cavities, micro- and macro-habitats. However, the status of ectoparasite infestation on birds in Sarawak is widely unknown. Rice field provides food resources to a variety of birds. This study was conducted to determine the species composition of ectoparasites from birds in a rice field at Kuap Village, Samarahan, Sarawak. A total of 69 birds consists of five species were caught from the rice field and the most common bird species found was the Chestnut Munia (Lonchura atricapilla). From these, 55 were found infested with ectoparasites with the infestation prevalence of 79.71%. A total of 2,513 ectoparasites from eight species were recovered from this study which comprised of six species of mites, one species of soft tick, and one species from the class Insecta. The most dominant ectoparasite species was mite namely, Nanopterodectes sp. with a total of 1,626 individuals. This baseline data on the ectoparasite composition and infestation of birds is important as some of the ectoparasites have the potential in transmitting zoonotic diseases to the farmers working at the rice fields in this region.
A survey of ectoparasitic fauna on birds was conducted in October 2017 until January 2018. The aims of this study were to investigate the ectoparasitic fauna on birds and to compare its prevalence in the selected mainland and island of Sarawak. A series of sampling by using mist-net has been done in Mount Sadong and Satang Besar Island with a total of 1440 hours of sampling effort for each locality. A total of 53 individuals of birds were captured and examined for its ectoparasites. Twenty-one species of ectoparasites were recorded comprising four species of lice and 17 species of mites. Four species of lice and 11 species of mites were detected in Mount Sadong while eight species of mites and no lice were detected in Satang Besar Island. The prevalence of ectoparasites infested on birds in Mount Sadong (33.33%) was higher than Satang Besar Island (17.39%). The p-value (p= 0.474) indicated there was no significant difference between the prevalence of ectoparasites from both localities. The result is important since ectoparasites infestation could affect the survival of birds and has the potential transmission of zoonotic disease.