Mesostigmata Mites (Acari: Parasitiformes) Associated with Birds and Their Nests from Egypt
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Turkish Journal of Zoology Turk J Zool (2018) 42: 722-731 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/ © TÜBİTAK Short Communication doi:10.3906/zoo-1801-24 Mesostigmata mites (Acari: Parasitiformes) associated with birds and their nests from Egypt 1, 2 Mohamed Waleed NEGM *, Azza Abdelgawad MOHAMED , 2 2 Hosam Mohamed Khalil EL-GEPALY , Safaa Mohamed ABDELAZIZ 1 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt 2 Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt Received: 16.01.2018 Accepted/Published Online: 02.11.2018 Final Version: 12.11.2018 Abstract: A survey of gamasid mites (Arachnida: Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with domestic and wild birds in Egypt was conducted. In total, 16 species within 10 families were collected from 22 bird species. The most abundant species belonged to the genera Dermanyssus Dugès (Dermanyssidae), Ornithonyssus Sambon, and Steatonyssus Kolenati (both Macronyssidae). Among various birds examined, the distribution and occurrence of mites were recorded. Taxonomic remarks about the morphology of the collected mites are presented to facilitate species discrimination for non-acarologists. Steatonyssus longipes Radovsky & Yunker, 1963, previously described as a new species from the Egyptian slit-faced bat, Nycteris thebaica Geoffroy (Chiroptera), is first recorded from various bird hosts in Egypt. Among the examined birds, chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus (Linnaeus) (Galliformes); palm doves, Streoptopelia senigalensis aegyptiacus (Linnaeus); domestic pigeons, Columba livia domestica Gmelin (both Columbiformes); and house sparrows, Passer domesticus niloticus, were the highly mite-infested birds. Commonly, mites were observed under the wings, around the vent region, in the breast area, and around the head and neck. The present study showed that Egyptian birds harbor various species of ectoparasitic mites, with chickens having more diversity, and macronyssid and dermanyssid mites are the most abundant. Key words: Acari, mites, checklist, Egypt, birds Birds are attacked by a remarkable diversity of (1993) also provided taxonomic information about mites ectoparasites, mostly arthropods. After lice (Insecta: reported from wild birds. To our knowledge, there is no Phthiraptera), the richest group is mites (Arachnida: taxonomic information source that contains the mite fauna Acari). Several mite families, with about 2500 species of Egyptian domestic birds that helps researchers find out (Proctor and Owens, 2000), live in close association with what taxa have been reported to date and where they were birds being less harmful, such as feather mites (Astigmata: found. To establish a baseline and enhance knowledge for Analgoidea, Pterolichoidea), or severe blood feeders further work on birds’ mite fauna, this work presents data (Dermanyssidae and Macronyssidae). The existence and on the taxonomy and occurrence of mesostigmatid mites feeding of parasitic mites may cause some pathological associated with domestic and certain wild birds in Egypt. effects like irritation, anemia, allergy, transmission of A survey was carried out to determine the diversity pathogens, and death as well (Chirico et al., 2003). While and occurrence of mites associated with domestic and wild surveying parasitic mites associated with Egyptian birds, birds, and their nests. Mite samplings were conducted at we recognized the need for taxonomical and ecological different localities representing Upper and Lower Egypt, information that could be useful for bird biologists, as follows: Beheira, Beni Suief, Cairo, Fayoum, Giza, Kafr veterinarians, and ornithologists interested in studying Elsheikh, Minia, Sohag, and Qena. Necessary information bird-associated mites. about host, collection date, and locality was recorded. Faunistic studies about mites of birds in Egypt are Domestic birds in poultry markets were caught with the limited. First reports of mites from Egyptian birds were permission of their owners. Certain wild birds were also published by Wafa and Soliman (1968) for Prostigmata collected from the Animal Zoo of the Giza governorate. (Cheyletidae), by Rakha (1980) for Astigmata, and by Nests were collected from trees and various buildings, and Zaher (1986) for mites of various orders. Abd-Alla feces were collected from poultry farms in paper bags. * Correspondence: [email protected] 722 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. NEGM et al. / Turk J Zool Nests and feces were put in modified Tullgren funnels for Regardless of the habitat, P. domesticus niloticus seemed to 24–48 h for mite extraction. Birds were carefully examined host the highest diversity of mites, hosting several species by feather separation with fingers and forceps to expose except M. merdarius. The macrochelid miteM. merdarius the skin and check for the presence of mites. Mites were is usually reported from manure habitats, being a potential commonly found attached to different body parts, the skin, predator against fly (Insecta: Diptera) eggs and larvae. head, neck, under the wings, around the thighs and breast, However, the macronyssid species S. longipes and O. bursa and around the vent (cloaca). Permanent slides were were mostly found inside the nests. prepared using Hoyer’s medium under a stereomicroscope Species accounts at 40× magnification power. Family Ameroseiidae The main classification works followed in the Kleemannia nova Nasr & Abou-Awad, 1986 identification of different mites were as follows: [= Ameroseius novus (Nasr & Abou-Awad, 1986) – Ameroseiidae (Nasr and Abou-Awad, 1986; Mašán, 2017); Hajizadeh et al., 2013] Blattisociidae and Laelapidae (Basha and Yousef, 2000); Mites of the family Ameroseiidae usually inhabit Dermanyssidae (Di Palma et al., 2012); Macronyssidae soil, litter, organic matter, and stored food and can be (Zumpt and Till, 1961; Radovsky and Yunker, 1963; found associated with fungi, insects, birds, and mammals Evans and Till, 1979); Melicharidae (Faraji, 2011; Abo- (Hughes, 1961; Mašán, 1998). Ameroseius Berlese is the Shnaf and de Moraes, 2016); Phytoseiidae (Chant and largest genus with about 100 described species. Some McMurtry, 2007); and Uropodoidea (Evans, 1957). The authors assigned Kleemannia as a probable synonym of voucher material is preserved as slide-mounted specimens Ameroseius (Westerboer and Bernhard, 1963; Halliday, in the Acari collection at Shandaweel Research Station, 1997; Karg, 2005; Karg and Schorlemmer, 2009; Narita Agricultural Research Center, Sohag. et al., 2013); however, Mašán (2017), in a recent family Common names of birds are based on Avibase– revision, validated Kleemannia and removed it from The World Bird Database. The present study examined synonymy with Ameroseius, depending on variations in 22 species of birds belonging to 11 orders, as follows: the number of posterolateral setae on genu III and tibia Columbiformes: palm dove, Streoptopelia senigalensis III–IV; proximal teeth on fixed cheliceral digits; preanal aegyptiacus (Linnaeus), turtle dove, Streoptopelia turtur setae on ventrianal shield; the palptarsal claw two-tined arenicola (Hartert), domestic pigeon, Columba livia (Kleemannia) or three-tined (Ameroseius); and the tectum domestica Gmelin, Egyptian rock pigeon, Columba livia usually with sharp pointed apex in Kleemannia. Hajizadeh schimperi Bonaparte; Passeriformes: house sparrow, et al. (2013) listed this species as Ameroseius novus (Nasr Passer domesticus niloticus Nicoll & Bonhote, pale rock & Abou-Awad), and since the species was transferred sparrow, Carpospiza brachydactyla (Bonaparte), hooded from the genus Kleemannia to Ameroseius, the epithet crow, Corvus cornix (Linnaeus); Anseriformes: bean ‘nova’, which is feminine, was consecutively changed to goose, Anser fabalis (Latham), Egyptian goose, Alopochen ‘novus’ to fit the new masculine genus name ‘Ameroseius’. aegyptiaca (Linnaeus), marbled duck, Marmaronetta Herein, we follow the work of Mašán (2017) and list angustirostris (Menetries), mallard, Anas platyrhyncha the species as K. nova, which was described as new due platyrhyncha Linnaeus; Galliformes: turkey, Meleagris to having 29 pairs of sword-like dorsal setae except the gallopavo Linnaeus, common quail, Coturnix coturnix vertical setae j1, which are fan-like (Figures 1 and 2). The coturnix (Linnaeus), chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus type material of K. nova was collected from manure in the (Linnaeus), peacock, Pavo cristatus Linnaeus; Strigiformes: Kafr Elsheikh governorate, which agrees with the present little owl, Athene noctua (Scopoli); Accipitriformes: pern, finding of K. nova from manure, bird nests, and feathers Pernis apivorus (Linnaeus); Bucerotiformes: Egyptian (Table), suggesting that it may feed on fungal matter in hoopoe, Upupa epops major Brehm; Pelecaniformes: cattle these habitats. In Iran, the same species was recorded from egret, Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus); Struthioniformes: ostrich, citrus soil in Fars Province (Khademi et al., 2006). Struthio camelus Linnaeus; Falconiformes: Egyptian Family Blattisociidae kestrel, Falco tinnunculus rupicolaeformis (Brehm); and Blattisocius keegani Fox, 1947 Psittaciformes: rose-ringed parakeet, Psittacula krameri Blattisociid mites are famous for feeding on fungi and (Scopoli). microarthropods (Lindquist and Moraza, 2010). In the The mite species Dermanyssus gallinae, Macrocheles present study, Blattisocius keegani Fox was recorded from merdarius, Ornithonyssus bursa, Steatonyssus longipes,