Annotated checklist of chigger mites (Trombidiformes: Leeuwenhoekiidae, Trombiculidae and Walchiidae) in Sri Lanka

M L S Ashani; P A D H N Gunathilaka; B A H R Premarathne; T G A N Chandrasena; F C Jacinavicius; R Bassini-Silva

doi:10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100771

Annotated checklist of chigger mites (Trombidiformes: Leeuwenhoekiidae, Trombiculidae and Walchiidae) in Sri Lanka

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2022 Sep:34:100771. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100771. Epub 2022 Aug 5.

Authors

M L S Ashani¹, P A D H N Gunathilaka², B A H R Premarathne³, T G A N Chandrasena⁴, F C Jacinavicius⁵, R Bassini-Silva⁶

Affiliations

¹ Deparment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Electronic address: mlsashani1@gmail.com.
² Deparment of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Electronic address: n.gunathilaka@kln.ac.lk.
³ Deparment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Electronic address: ranjanp64@gmail.com.
⁴ Deparment of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Electronic address: nilminicha64@gmail.com.
⁵ Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: fcjacinavicius@gmail.com.
⁶ Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias-UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: ricardo.bassini@gmail.com.

PMID: 36041806
DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100771

Abstract

Chigger mites (Leeuwenhoekiidae, Trombiculidae, and Walchiidae) are parasites of any terrestrial vertebrate. The present study updates the list of chigger mite (Trombiculidae, Leeuwenhoekiidae, and Walchiidae) species recorded from Sri Lanka along with taxonomic classification based on previous investigations since 1946 to date and our observations in western and southern parts of the country. This checklist listed 15 species in 9 genera within the three chigger families. For now, murid species were the host most sampledparasitized by chiggers in Sri Lanka. However, further studies are required to increase the diversity of chigger mites in Sri Lanka and probably the description of new species, which will be possible with morphological and molecular characterization.

Keywords: Chigger mites; Parasitism; Sri Lanka; Vertebrates.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Checklist
Mite Infestations* / parasitology
Mite Infestations* / veterinary
Sri Lanka
Trombiculidae* / anatomy & histology