Mite biodiversity and distribution in Malaysia is currently understudied. Most previous works on Malaysian Acari have focused on pest organisms of medical, veterinary, and agricultural concern, with a few recent studies centered on mites in forensic contexts. Previous literatures have targeted collection sites in forest reserves and/or mountains in either Peninsular or Malaysian Borneo, though the state of Sarawak had the least publications related to mite species descriptions despite having the highest number of nature parks of any state in the country. Most publications focused on the three states Selangor, Pahang and Sabah. Most of the mite species reported were from mammals (66.3%), with fewer species from birds (21.7%), arthropods (11.2%), and reptiles (0.8%). We believe that further work on the systematic documentation of mite species throughout Malaysia is necessary as it could generate useful tools, such as the use of mites as biogeographical markers or as forensic indicators. Therefore, this review catalogs mite species that have been documented in or on animal hosts in Malaysia and serves as a foundation for future work.
Clostridium bifermentans serovar malaysia (C.b.m.) is highly toxic to mosquito larvae. In this study, the following aquatic nontarget invertebrates were treated with high C.b.m. concentrations (up to 1,600-fold the toxic concentration for Anopheles stephensi) to study their susceptibility towards the bacterial toxin: Planorbis planorbis (Pulmonata); Asellus aquaticus (Isopoda); Daphnia pulex (Cladocera); Cloeon dipterum (Ephemeroptera); Plea leachi (Heteroptera); and Eristalis sp., Chaoborus crystallinus, Chironomus thummi, and Psychoda alternata (Diptera). In addition, bioassays were performed with mosquito larvae (Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Culex pipiens). Psychoda alternata larvae were very susceptible, with LC50/LC90 values comparable to those of mosquito larvae (about 10(3)-10(5) spores/ml). The tests with Chaoborus crystallinus larvae showed significant mortality rates at high concentrations, but generally not before 4 or 5 days after treatment. The remaining nontarget organisms did not show any susceptibility. The investigation confirms the specificity of C.b.m. to nematocerous Diptera.