89 New host and locality records for endoparasitic nasal mites (Acari: Rhinonyssidae, Turbinoptidae, and Ereynetidae) infesting birds in Manitoba, Canada Wayne Knee,1 Terry D. Galloway Abstract—Four families of parasitic mites (Acari: Rhinonyssidae, Ereynetidae, Cytoditidae, and Turbinoptidae) have evolved independently to live inside the nasal passages of birds. A previous survey of nasal mites in Canada drew attention to the dearth of knowledge about these specialised mites, and indicated there were more species of nasal mites to discover in Canada. Since 2008, we have continued to survey nasal mites and herein present the details from infested hosts, 92 host individuals representing 64 species from 11 orders and 23 families. We report 18 new records for species of nasal mites in Canada: 16 Rhinonyssidae, one Ereynetidae, and one Turbinoptidae. No Cytoditidae have yet been recorded in Canada. We also collected five undescribed species of rhinonyssids. A total of 64 host-parasite species records are reported, and of these records, 52 rhinonyssids, one ereynetid, and three turbinoptids are new for Canada. Nasal mites were not collected from 127 host species, and several of these host species were sampled extensively (⩾ 50 individuals). This research furthers our understanding of avian nasal mites in Canada and highlights the need for continued investigations on these mites. Introduction nasal passages of birds has evolved independently in five families of parasitiform (Rhinonyssidae, Birds are hosts to a broad diversity of symbiotic Melicharidae) and acariform (Ereynetidae, animals and one of the most diverse groups is Turbinoptidae, Cytoditidae) mites. Four of these mites (Arachnida: Acariformes, Parasitiformes), families are parasites (Knee et al. 2008) and the with at least 40 families and 3000 described other family (Melicharidae) includes phoretic species that live in close association with birds mites found in the nasal passages of humming- (Proctor and Owens 2000). The nature of the birds (Colwell 1973). There are at least 500 symbiotic relationship and the impacts these mites described species of parasitic avian nasal mites have on their hosts are variable, with some species worldwide (Fain 1994). The Rhinonyssidae being detrimental parasites, such as scaly-leg is the most diverse and frequently encountered mites (Knemidokoptes Furstenberg, Prostigmata: family. Rhinonyssids are slow-moving haemato- Epidermoptidae), while other species are rela- phagous endoparasites. These mites occur tively benign associates such as most feather predominately in the nasal cavity in association mites (Astigmata: Analgoidea, Pterolichoidea) with the turbinates, scrolls of highly vascularised (Proctor and Owens 2000). epithelial tissue, and occasionally in the tracheal Mites inhabit all parts of the avian integument; tissues, lungs, and body cavity (Porter and they can be found on and in the skin of their hosts, Strandtmann 1952; Bell 1996a). Speleognathine on and in the feathers, and even in the nasal (Prostigmata: Ereynetidae) mites are tissue- passages, lungs, and air sacs. Dwelling in the feeding nasal parasites of birds and mammals Received 5 February 2016. Accepted 27 May 2016. First published online 26 October 2016. W. Knee,1 Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 960 Carling Avenue, K.W. Neatby Building, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C6, Canada T.D. Galloway, Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada 1Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]). Subject editor: Derek Sikes doi:10.4039/tce.2016.47 Can. Entomol. 149:89–103 (2017) © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, on 12 Dec 2017 at 18:43:22, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.4039/tce.2016.47 90 Can. Entomol. Vol. 149, 2017 (Akimov et al. 2003). Speleognathines are Materials and methods found throughout the nasal cavity, and their hydrophobic cuticle allows them to move Most birds were casualties from 1999 to 2013 rapidly on top of the nasal mucosa (Porter and from the Wildlife Haven (Manitoba Wildlife Strandtmann 1952). The Turbinoptidae (Astigmata) Rehabilitation Organization) and the Prairie are sluggish, tissue-feeding mites that dwell in Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Small numbers of the superficial cutaneous regions of the nasal birds were submitted by the general public as a cavity and feed on corneous layers of the skin (Fain result of window strike, road kill, or cat mauling; 1994). Turbinoptids are encountered infrequently, some game birds, typically with breast meat but when present, a host is often infested with removed, were donated by hunters. As soon as large numbers (Porter and Strandtmann 1952). possible after death, birds were tagged with date Cytoditidae (Astigmata) species have not been of death and location, individually bagged and collected in Canada; this is a small family of stored at −20 °C until processing in the laboratory exudate-feeding endoparasites that occur throughout at the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Mani- the nasal cavity as well as the sinuses, lungs and toba, Canada). The nasal passages of thawed birds air-sacs (Fain 1994). In most cases, nasal mites were flushed with a solution of warm water and are not considered to cause significant pathology mild soap using orthodontic syringes, a 12 mL to their hosts; however, the feeding activity of Monojet® 412 curved tip plastic syringe for larger some rhinonyssids may cause trauma to nasal birds (⩾ 10 g) and 3 mL Monojet® syringe fitted tissues (de Rojas et al. 2002), and species that with a 22 gauge slotted irrigation needle for invade the lungs and air-sacs, such as Sternostoma smaller birds (usually < 10 g), though diameter of tracheacolum Lawrence (Rhinonyssidae), can the nostrils ultimately determined the size of syr- cause pneumonia and death of their hosts (Bell inge used. The solution was flushed through each 1996a). nostril, through the opening in the palette and Avian nasal mites have been surveyed in regions back out the mouth into a Petri dish. Occasionally throughout the world, including Russia, Australia, nasal mites were collected from whole-body Canada, Taiwan, and the United States of America washing, where a thawed bird was placed in a (Maa and Kuo 1965; Domrow 1969; Pence 1975; container ranging in volume from 4−40 L, Butenko 1984; Knee et al. 2008). Before Knee et al. depending on the size of the bird, submerged in (2008) there were only seven records for nasal mites warm water containing a few drops of liquid dish from birds in Canada, four of which were published detergent. Each bird was agitated vigorously three records (George 1961; Pence 1975; Ballard and to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the bird. Ring 1979; Hood and Welch 1980) and three were Each bird was then removed from the container unpublished records from mites deposited in the and rinsed thoroughly; the washing solution was Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ara- filtered through a 90-µm sieve. This process was chnids, and Nematodes in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. repeated once again with warm, soapy water, and Knee et al. (2008) emphasised the lack of knowl- once finally with warm water. The filtrate from all edge about these peculiar mites, and indicated that three washes was preserved in 70% or 95% there were likely still many more species of nasal ethanol. Samples were examined for mites using a mites to be recorded from birds in Canada. Fol- dissecting microscope. All nasal mites were lowing the publication of this survey, two of the collected and preserved in 70% or 95% ethanol authors (W.K. and T.D.G) continued to explore the for later identification; all other associated diversity of nasal mites in Canada with the objec- arthropods were retained by T.D.G. tives of discovering undescribed species, as well as Mites were removed from ethanol and cleared expanding the number of records for Manitoba and in 85% lactic acid, mounted in polyvinyl alcohol Canada. It is important to know the identity and medium (6371A; BioQuip Products, Rancho distribution of species parasitising birds in Canada Dominguez, California, United States of America), and neighbouring countries. Established host and cured on a slide warmer at 40 °C for three to records enable researchers to detect new species four days. Slide-mounted specimens were exam- invasions and to explore the role of these mites in ined using a Leica DM2500 compound microscope avian disease. with differential interference contrast. Species level © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, on 12 Dec 2017 at 18:43:22, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.4039/tce.2016.47 Knee and Galloway 91 identifications were made using keys (Pence birds were from Manitoba with a small number 1975; Knee and Proctor 2010) and species (18) from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and descriptions from the primary literature. Voucher Saskatchewan, Canada. Approximately half of the specimens (CNC535645–CNC535685; Supple- birds and species examined were passerines (2904 mentary Material Table S1) are deposited in birds, 110 species). The next most abundant bird the Canadian National Collection of Insects, orders examined were Columbiformes, Falconi- Arachnids, and Nematodes (Agriculture and Agri- formes, and Anseriformes in order of decreasing Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). Host abundance. Considering the low diversity of bird taxonomy follows the American Ornithologists’ taxa in the order, columbiform hosts were over- Union (1983) Checklist of North American represented with 804 individuals examined from birds, 7th edition, plus supplements. Infestation two species, Columba livia Gmelin and Zenaida parameters were calculated using Quantitative macroura (Linnaeus). Anseriform, charadriiform, Parasitology 3.0 (Rózsa et al. 2000). Scientific and falconiform hosts were the next most diverse permits were issued to T.D.G.