Laelapidae mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) infesting small rodents in the Curonian Spit, Lithuania

Evelina Kaminskienė; Jana Radzijevskaja; Linas Balčiauskas; Vaclovas Gedminas; Algimantas Paulauskas

doi:10.6001/biologija.v63i2.3528

Evelina Kaminskienė
Jana Radzijevskaja
Linas Balčiauskas
Vaclovas Gedminas
Algimantas Paulauskas

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6001/biologija.v63i2.3528

Keywords: Laelaps agilis, Hyperlaelaps microti, Eulaelaps stabularis, Haemogamasus nidi, Myonyssus gigas, rodents, Lithuania

Abstract

Laelapidae (Acari, Mesostigmata) mites are ecologically diverse and involve predators and parasites found in various habitats. In the present study, Laelapidae mites were collected from 236 small rodents of five species (the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis, the harvest mouse Micromys minutus, the bank vole Myodes glareolus, the root vole Microtus oeconomus, and the field vole Microtus agrestis) in the Curonian Spit in 2013–2014. Five species of Laelapidae mites – Laelaps agilis, Hyperlaelaps microti, Haemogamassus nidi, Eulaelaps stabularis and Myonyssus gigas – were identified based on the morphological characters of adult females and males. The present study is the first detection of Laelapidae mites parasitizing small rodents in the Curonian Spit, Lithuania.