DIRECT INJURY,MYIASIS,FORENSICS herfsi (: Pyemotidae), a New to North America as the Cause of Bite Outbreaks

ALBERTO B. BROCE, LUDEK ZUREK, JAMES A. KALISCH,1 ROBERT BROWN, DAVID L. KEITH,1 DAVID GORDON,2 JANIS GOEDEKE,3 CAL WELBOURN,4 JOHN MOSER,5 RONALD OCHOA,6 7 7 8 EDUARDO AZZIZ-BAUMGARTNER, FUYUEN YIP, AND JACOB WEBER

Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506Ð4004

J. Med. Entomol. 43(3): 610Ð613 (2006) ABSTRACT High incidences of red, itching, and painful welts on people in the midwestern United States led to the discovery of a European species of mite, Pyemotes herfsi (Oudemans) (Acari: Pyemotidae), preying on gall-making midge larvae on oak leaves. The mitesÕ great reproductive potential, small size, and high capacity for dispersal by wind make them difÞcult to control or avoid.

KEY WORDS Pyemotes herfsi,mite,itchingbites

The Þrst news report of an outbreak of itching and bites were being reported, and from PSU joined in the painful bites in the midwestern United States con- search. cerned football players from Western Colorado State College after attending a picnic at a park at Pittsburg State University (PSU), Pittsburg, KS, on 26 August Materials and Methods 2004, where, on the same day, they played against the Five CDC traps (John W. Hock Co., Gainesville, PSU team. The news (local and regional newspapers FL) baited with 0.5 kg of dry ice were operated for two and TV) of the outbreaks resulted in 75Ð100 calls a day nights (8 and 14 September 2004) in Pittsburg, KS, to the Crawford County Public Health OfÞce from where bite incidence was running high. Fluorescent Pittsburg residents complaining of similar insect “ light traps operated in the county by the Kansas Co- bites. During that time, an unrecorded number of ” operative Extension Survey were inspected for biting patients visited the city hospital and 50 students with insects. Three of us(A.B.B., R. B., and D. G.) spent pruritic rashes were seen 23Ð27 August by the PSU “ ” three evenings (14Ð16 September) in the high bite Student Health Center. Typical bites were red welts incidence park at PSU collecting ßying biting insects Ϸ2cmindiameterwithacentralvesicle(Fig.1A)and that alighted on our exposed necks and shoulders (the were itchy and painful when scratched, often resulting most common sites of bites). Leaf litter and lawn in secondary bacterial infection. Most puzzling was debris were collected at the PSU park and placed in the lack of any insect being seen or felt during the act Tullgren funnel extractors (Burkard Manufacturing of biting. The Kansas Department of Health and En- Co. Ltd., Rickmansworth, England) overnight. vironment requested assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, and the Department of Entomology, Kansas State Uni- Results and Discussion versity (KSU), Manhattan, KS, in determining the cause of the mysterious bites. Entomologists from the Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and biting midges University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, where similar (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were collected with the CDC traps but in numbers too small to account for the high incidence of bites. Collections by ßuorescent 1 Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE light traps yielded no unusual biting insects. Efforts by 68583. three of us (A.B.B., R. B. and D. G.) to collect ßying 2 Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS biting insects alighting on our bodies yielded no in- 66762. sects, yet the next morning each of us displayed Þve to 3 Crawford County Health Department, Pittsburg, KS 66762. 4 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Di- eight itching welts on our necks and upper torsos. vision of Plant Industries, Gainesville, FL 32614. Likewise, Tullgren funnel extractions of 5 USDAÑForest Service, Pineville, LA 71360. from leaf litter and lawn debris yielded no unusual 6 USDAÑARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Beltsville, MD biting arthropods. The distribution of bites on the 20705. 7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333. neck and shoulders, and where clothing Þtloosely, 8 Kansas Cooperative Extension Service, Columbus, KS 66725. eliminated chiggers (Acari: Trombiculidae) as sus-

0022-2585/06/0610Ð0613$04.00/0 ᭧ 2006 Entomological Society of America