Vertebrata

Salmane, I. & Brumelis, G., 2010, Species List And Habitat Preference Of Mesostigmata Mites (Acari, Parasitiformes) In Latvia, Acarologia 50 (3), pp. 373-394 : 376

Vertebrata

In total 44 Mesostigmata species were observed to be associated with Vertebrata ; of them, 80% were recorded as habitat specialists ( Table 2, Appendix 1). This habitat had the highest proportion of habitat specialist species among the all of investigated habitats. Many Mesostigmata species associated with vertebrates are known to be parasites or nidicoles ( Rudnick, 1960; Radovsky, 1967, 1969; Stanyukovich, 1990, 1997; Baker and Craven, 2003; MašAEn and Stanko, 2005). Of the 35 species recorded in our investigation as habitat specialist species of Vertebrata , some have high specificity for the host. For example, Macronyssus crosbyi , Steatonyssus cavus and Spinturnix myoti are parasites of bats ( Rudnick, 1960; Stanyukovich, 1990, 1997). Mites of the genera Haemolaelaps , Myonyssus , Hirstionyssus , Ornithonyssus , Laelaps and Haemogamasus are associated with small mammals ( Radovsky, 1969). MašAEn and Stanko (2005) classified Mesostigmata communities associated with rodents as follows, in descending order of species richness: edaphic species, nidicoles (some Parasitus , Hypoaspis , Macrocheles ), and parasites and coprophyllous species. More than 20 species recorded as habitat specialists of Vertebrata in our study, for example, Laelaps , Haemogamasus , Myonyssus , Hirstionyssus , and Hypoaspis heselhausi , are parasites of small mammals ( Chikilevskaya and Gembitski, 1968; Mrciak, 1979; Molnos, 1981, 1982; MašAEn et al. 1994) in Europe. Euryparasitus emarginatus is known as a predatory nidicolous species often found in nests of small mammals in Latvia ( Eglitis, 1954). Cyrtolaelaps mucronatus , Androlaelaps casalis , and Eulaelaps stabularis in our investigation were found in association with vertebrates as well as in other habitats (agricultural lands, wood and forests). Macrocheles glaber and Parasitus fimetorum , considered previously to be coprophyllous in the Palaearctic ( Bregetova, 1977; MašAEn and Stanko, 2005), in our study were collected also from vertebrates and other habitats and defined as generalist species. Poecilochirus species are well known associates of Nicrophorus spp. beetles ( Springett, 1968; Bregetova, 1977; Salmane, 2009), but we recorded Poecilochirus subterraneus also on small mammals, as previously observed by Mrciak (1979). Some of the species found to be associated with small mammals and bird nests in Latvia, like Androlaelaps casalis, Dermanysssus gallinae and Dermanyssus hirundinis are also abundant in bird nests in Slovakia and Byelorussia ( MašAEn and Krištofík, 1995; Efremova, 2000; Švana et al. 2006).