ISSN 1809-127X (online edition) © 2010 Check List and Authors Chec List Open Access | Freely available at www.checklist.org.br Journal of species lists and distribution N Acari, Laelapidae (ectoparasitic mites), central and PECIES S southern Chile OF ISTRIBUITIO Marcela Lareschi 1* 2 D ISTS L and Daniel González-Acuña RAPHIC G 1 Centro de Estudios Parasitoló[email protected] y de Vectores, CEPAVE (CCT-La Plata, CONICET-UNLP) calle 2 # 584, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. 2 Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Departamento de Ciencias Pecuarias. Avenida Vicente Méndez 595. Chillán, Chile. EO * Corresponding author. E-mail: G Abstract: he fauna of mites of many Neotropical N O central and southernLaelapidae Chile: Acanthochela mites include chilensis ectoparasites of small mammals. T Dromiciops gliroides Thomas 1894; OTES areasLukoschus is still maresi understudied, Radovsky and and such Gettinger is the 1999 case fromof Chile. Abrothrix We report olivaceus the results (Waterhouse of a survey 1837) carried; Laelaps out echidninus in N Berlese 1887 from Rattus rattus (Linnaeus Ewing1758) 1933and R. is norvergicus reported from (Berkenhout 1769); and Gigantolaelaps wolffsohni (Oudemans 1910) and Mysolaelaps microspinosus Fonseca 1936 from Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Bennett 1832) Abrothrix sanborni Osgood 1943 with G. wolffsohni and M. microspinosus was accidental, since these mites are common ectoparasites of oryzomine rodents (Rodentia, Cricetidae, . TheLaelaps association maresi, L.of echidninus and M. microspinosus Sigmodontinae). are reported for the first time for Chile. The results of this study increase the number of ectoparasitic laelapid mites known from Chile to five species. Introduction Materials and Methods Mites of the family Laelapidae include ectoparasitic Study Sites species of small mammals, mainly rodents and marsupials Chilean weather conditions, such as humidity and (Strandtmann and Wharton 1958 temperature, are diverse because of its vast variation in the laelapid fauna associated with mammals in the ). Knowledge of Andes mountain range in the east, the Humboldt Current, Strandtmann and Wharton (1958) listed 23 species for latitude and altitude; the Pacific Coast in the west and Neotropical Region However, has thegrown fauna significantlyof mites of manysince The transition from arid to cold and rainy conditions Neotropical areas is still understudied (Furman 1972; beginsthe Pacific from anticyclone the southern and thepart proximity of central to theChile Antarctic. (Iriarte South America. Locality names and coordinates for each sampling where its ectoparasitic laelapid fauna is one of the least point (Figure 1) are: Valparaíso (33°03’ S, 71°36’ W; urban knownStrandmann in the and continent, Wharton since 1958). a few Such species is the were case reported of Chile, zone),2008). Río Melado (35°51’ S, 71°05’ W, farm zone), Campus Chile has Chillán (36°35’ S, 72°05’ W; urban zone), Huemules de borders with Peru to the north, Bolivia in the northeast, Niblinto (36°45’ S, 71°29’ W; forest zone), Concepción (Furman 1972; Radovsky and Gettinger 1999). (Carriel sur) (36°46’ S 73°03’ W; rural zone), Chiloé (Ancud) (41°52’ S, 73°49’ W; rural zone) and La Junta, Inand contrast, Argentina 20 to species the east. of Little laelapid is known mites aboutwere therecorded fauna from PeruArgentina and Bolivia(Lareschi (Gettinger and Mauri and 1998;Gardner Gettinger 2005). In the MiteAysén collections (43°57’ S, 72°23’ W; forest zone). last years two laelapid species were described from the The mammals were captured alive with Sherman and Argentineanand Lareschi Patagonia2009; Lareschi (Radovsky and Gettinger and Gettinger 2009). 1999; collected from the rodent Abrothrix longipilis (Waterhouse mammalTomahawk was traps. removed Traps fromremained the trapopen andthroughout transferred the 1837)Gettinnger (Cricetidae, and Lareschi Sigmodontine), 2009). Thesewhich speciesalso inhabits were night and were checked in the early morning. Each small Chile (Wilson and Reeder 2005) when the mammal was torpid, it was removed from the geographical distributions of rodent and marsupial host to a plastic bag. After anesthesied with ketami-xilacin, species from neighboring countries. Based (Wilson on andthe currentReeder 2005) bag, identified, and marked, and entire body was brushed Thewith acari a toothbrush were put inover alcohol a white 70 %tray. and After after recoverin laboratory from In year, the 2009, possibility we received of finding a collection new recordsof laelapid of mitesmite anesthesia, the animal was released at the point of capture. sampledspecies for by Chile one isof high. the authors (DGA) and collaborators from the skin and pelage of small mammals from central nomenclaturewere examined underof Wilson a stereoscope. and Reeder (2005) as: In the present study we report the MicrobiotheriaSmall mammals: Dromiciops were identifiedgliroides Thomasfollowing 1894the mite species encountered, new host and locality records (Microbiotheriidae); Rodentia: Rattus rattus (Linnaeus and southern Chile. 1758), Rattus norvergicus (Berkenhout 1769) (Muridae: are also reported. Check List | Volume 6 | Issue 4 | 2010 546 Lareschi and González-Acuña | Acari, Laelapidae (ectoparasitic mites), central and southern Chile Lukoschus maresi Radovsky and Gettinger 1999 One female was collected on the rodent A. olivaceus from Huemules de Niblinto, and a deutonymph on A. longipilis L. maresi studied Lukoschus from(Radovsky Chiloé. and Specimens Gettinger of 1999), with its only specieshere fit theL maresi original, was description described of theon thespecies. basis The of genusmites collected on A. longipilis from Neuquén Province (2 . Lukoschus maresi and A. chilensis are the only species included in thekm subfamilyS Lonco Luan Acanthochelinae along Hwy 23),(Radovsky Argentina. and Gettinger Lukoschus maresi was also recorded parasitizing the rodents Irenomys tarsalis (Philippi 1900), O. longicaudatus 1999).and one individual of an undetermined species, from localities in Neuquén Province, Argentina (Villa Pehuenia and Villa La Angostura) A. olivaceus (Radovsky and Gettinger 1999). The present record is the first in Chile and Subfamilyconstitutes Laelapinae a new host Berlese for this 1892 mite. Laelaps echidninus Berlese 1887 Figure 1. neighboring Brazil and the close association of Porto Murtinho region R. rattus and R. The major Paraguay ecoregions (modified from Cacciali 2010) norvergicus respectively, from sampling sites in Porto Murtinho Chaco region, state of Mato Grosso do LaelapsSix and echidninus 5 females is a cosmopolitanwere collected parasite on in temperate with the Chaco biome (A). Points represent approximated herpetofauna and tropical areas, primarily parasitizingCampus Chillán,murid rodents, Ñuble. Sul (B). especially species of Rattus, and the record of mammals Murinae); Abrothrix olivaceus (Waterhouse 1837) and other than Rattus represents accidental and temporary Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Bennett 1832) (Cricetidae, associations (Strandtmann and Wharton 1958; Furman Sigmodontinae); and A. longipilis and Abrotrix sanborni Laelaps echidninus Osgood 1943 following et al. Mites were Laelaps echidninus is the natural vector of cleared in lactophenol and mounted in Hoyer´s medium 1972).Hepatozoon muris (Balfour is 1905), recorded and for has the been first found time (D´Elía 2007). in Chile. lafor Plata, taxonomic Argentina identification. and Collection Voucher of Laboratory specimens of Zoology were Juninto experimentally virus (the causing transmit agent theof epidemicagent ofhemorrhagic tularemia deposited in the Collection of Entomología del Museo de fever)(Strandtmann has been and isolated Wharton from this1958). species Moreover, in South since America the (Parodi et al. of the Veterinary Faculty, of the University of Concepción, Chile. The list of mite specimens collected is given below. 1959), the first record of this mite in Chile is commentsNumber of onspecimens geographical of each distribution sex, developmental and host species stage, Gigantolaelapsimportant from wolffsohni an epidemiological (Oudemans standpoint. 1910) host and locality are also given. A brief report including One female on A. sanborni from Chiloé, and 6 females on O. longicaudatus from La Junta Aysen, Río Melado, Resultspreviously and known Discussion is also included for each species. Gigantolaelaps wolffsohni has Neotropical distribution Family Laelapidae Berlese 1892 andValparaíso is a common and Concepción parasite of oryzomyine(Carriel sur) rodents were collected. (Furman Subfamily Acanthochelinae Radovsky and Gettinger 1999 1972); thus, the present association with the abrotrichine A. sanborni Gigantolaelaps Acanthochela chilensis wolffsohni small Two females and 2 deutonymphs were collected on rodent from must be considered accidental.Gigantolaelaps wolffsohni the marsupial D. gliroides Ewing 1933 Specimens of A. has already wasbeen reporteddescribed associated from an with unidentified O. longicaudatus chilensis in northwesternValparaiso, Argentina Chile. (Lareschi et al. La Junta from Chiloé. Aysen, Río Melado and Concepción (Carriel sur) represent Radovsky studied and Gettinger here fit 1999); descriptions one of the given females for females had an new localities for G. wolffsohni 2003). and deutonymphsAcanthochela (Ewing chilensis 1933; Mauri was describedand Alzuet on 1985; the basis of specimens collected from the marsupial Thylamys , which extends the southern eggelegans inside. Acanthochela