Folia faunistica Slovaca 19 (1) 2014: 99–102 www.ffs.sk THE CHIGGER NEOTROMBICULA ELEGANS (ACARI: TROMBICULIDAE) IN SLOVAKIA Stanislav Kalúz & Michal Vrabec ] Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia [[email protected]; [email protected] Abstract: Neotrombicula elegans A new chigger mite for Slovak acarofauna – Schluger, 1966 (Acari: Trombiculidae) is reported and figured with a details of it´s taxonomy and morphology. The larvae of this species were collected from soilKey litterwords: in oak forest (South-West Slovakia) during the winter. chigger, larvae, mites, new member, Slovakia. INTRODUCTION Neotrombicula (DudichNeotrombicula 1995). Thiselegans paper brings the information on a new chigger of this genus occurring in Slovakia The genus Hirst belongs to the rich- – Schluger, 1966. est in species genera in the family Trombiculidae. MatERIAL AND METHODS Recently, about 150 species have been known in the world parasitizing mainly mammalsNeotrombicula and inhab- sensuiting various stricto habitats. Kudryashova (1998) stated Material examined: Slovakia – Southwest, Malé more thanNeotrombicula 40 species in the genus Karpaty Mts, Kamzík, N 48°10´38˝, E 17°4´19˝, al- occurringNeotrombicula in Palaearctic austriaca region. Until titude 218 m, oak forest, 10 larvae from litter, 4. 1. recent 9N. autumnalis species wereN. reported earis from 2012, the same locality, 18. 1. 2007, 1 larva from SlovakN. territory: inopinata N. japonica(Kepka, litter; Slovakia – Southwest, Bratislava, Čunovo, N 1964), (Shaw, 1781), Kepka,N. na- 48°2´25˝, E 17°10´46˝, altitude 133 m, oak forest, 12. 1964,gayoi (Oudemans, 1909), 1. 2012, 6 larvae from litter; Bratislava, Čunovo, the (Tanaka,N. talmiensis Kaiwa, Teramura et N.Kagawa, vernalis 1930), same locality, oak forest, 18. 1. 2007, 10 larvae from (Sasa, N.Hayashi, vulgaris Sato, Miura et Asahima, 1950), litter. Collected by S. Kalúz. The mites were isolat- Schluger, 1955, Willmann, ed by Tullgren funnels, then preserved in ethylal- 1942 and Neotrombicula(Schluger, 1948). Daniel cohol. All chiggers were mounted onto slides using (1957) and Kalúz et al. (1996) studied chiggers of Swann’s medium, then microscopically identified the genus in lowland areas of Danu- and described. The drawings were produced using bian plain. TrombiculidaeNeotrombicula in sandy area of Záhorská standard light microscopy and then enhanced with nížina lowland were studied by Kováčik (1983b) at computer software (Gimp2). All measurements in the same time with the chiggersNeotrom of- the paper (stated in micrometers – μm) were made Malébicula Karpaty Mts. (Kováčik 1984, 1985). Mašán et with a standardized microscopy ocular microm- al. (1994) also reported the occurrence of Ne- eter. Abbreviation of the leg segments: Cx – coxa, otrombicula larvae from the winter nest of the common Tr – trochanter, Bf – basifemur, Tf – telofemur, G – mole in Malé Karpaty Mts. The information on genu, Ti – tibia, Ta – tarsus, MTa – nude mastitarsa- species in Slovak mountain areas ap- la. The measurements, terminology, other symbols peared in the papers of Kováčik (1983a) from Vi- and abbreviations were used following the papers horlat, from Veľká Fatra (Kováčik 1983c), Malá of Vercammen-Grandjean (1960) and Kudryash- Fatra (Kalúz & Žuffa 1985) and Slovenský kras ova (1998). The scale in each figure is 100 μm. Kalúz S & Vrabec M, 2014: The chigger Neotrombicula elegans (Acari: Trombiculidae) in Slovakia. Folia faunistica Slovaca, 19 (1): 99–102. [in English] Received 12 November 2013 ~ Accepted 6 October 2014 ~ Published 9 October 2014 © Faunima, Bratislava, 2014 e–ISSN 1336–4529 ISSN 1335–7522 100 Kalúz S & Vrabec M: Neotrombicula elegans in Slovakia RESULts Dorsum Neotrombicula elegans Schluger, 1966 (Fig. 1). Scutum anteriorly and laterally nearly pentagonal, posteriorly semi–rounded, wid- – Taxono- er than long, with AL, AM, PL setae and two sen- my and morphology of Slovak specimens: silla. Small scutal puncta cover prevailing part of SIF=7BS–B–3–3111.1000; fsp=7.7.7; fPp=B.B.NNB; scutum. Sensilla ciliated 90(86–101) long, with 2–4 Ga=B; fCx=1.1.1; fSt=2–2; DS=38(34–42); VS=34(30–38); NDV=72(64–80); fDS= 2H–6.2.6.6.2.6.4.2(4).2(2)=36–42; Figure 3. Neotrombicula elegans – gnathosoma (left - ventral, right - dorsal) (scale = 100 µm). Figure 1. Neotrombicula elegans – idiosoma dorsal (scale = 100 µm). Figure 4. Neotrombicula elegans Figure 2. Neotrombicula elegans – legs I–III; Dots – bases – idiosoma ventral of setae; full dots – upper side; empty dots – bottom side (scale = 100 µm). (scale = 100 µm). Folia faunistica Slovaca 19 (1) 2014: 99–102 101 lateral cilia situated in apical two thirds of sensil- beyond the caudal margin of scutum and by three– la. Oval eyes (2+2) in ocular plates, eyes laterally pronged palptibial claw. Other features are also at the level of PL. Humeral setae 68(62–71) [mean a little different e.g. some measurements on scu- (minimal–maximal)] long, dorsal setae 55(51–66) tum,N. elegansbut we consider these differences within the long, thickly ciliated, dorsal setae arranged in reg- species morphological variability. The occurrence ularScutum rows. of in SW Slovakia enlarges the geograph- ic distribution of the species noticeably to the west. AM=61(55–67), AL=48(45–57), PL=65(62– ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 69), PL>AM>AL, SB=33(31–36), ASB=34(31–36), PSB=25(23–29), SD=58(57–62), AW=73(69–77), PW=88(83–91), SD<AW<PW; SB situated slightly Venter This research had been funded by the Operation- posteriorly to the level of PL. al Program of Research and Development and co- (Fig. 2). Two pairs of sternal setae (fSt=2–2), financed with the European Fund for Regional De- fCx=1.1.1. Coxal setae I long and reaching to poste- velopment (EFRD). Grant: ITMS 26220220087: The rior margin of coxa II. Ventral side with 34(30–38) development of ecological methods to control cho- irregularly arranged thickly ciliated setae. Anteri- sen forest pests in vulnerable mountainous regions or setae shorter than posterior. Lengths of ventral of Slovakia. REFERENCES setae vary (30–36) and increase from anterior to posteriorGnathosoma setae. Trombicula (Fig. 3). Galeala barbed. Palps 46 long, Daniel M, 1957: K ekologii larevČeskoslovenská rodu parasitologie (Acari: slender palpotibial claw 15 long, with 3 deeply in- Trombiculidae) cizopasících na drobných savcích dented prongs. Chelicera anteriorly with tricuspid v nižších polohách ČSR. cap.Legs 4: 85–111. Dudich A, 1995: Prehľad výskumu fauny drobných cicav- (Fig. 4). With pretarsus, claws and normal em- cov (Insectivora, Rodentia)Naturae a ich Tutela ektoparazitov (Aca- podia. Setae on legs ciliated, slender. Specialized rina, Anoplura, Siphonaptera) Chránenej krajinnej setae on leg segments: Leg I – S1, f1, (PT´, ST, pST) oblasti Slovenský kras. 3: 147–155. = N, 2 tibialae, microtibiala, 3 genualae, microgen- Kalúz S, MájskyBiologia J & Hrbatý (Bratislava) J, 1996: Chiggers (Acarina, uala; Leg II – S2, f2, PT´´= N, 2 tibialae, genuala; Leg Trombiculidae) in forest and wind-break of the Danu- bian plain. 51 (2): 135–141. III – MTa, tibiala, genuala. Number of plumose setae Ochrana prírody Kalúz S, Žuffa M, 1985: Pôdne roztoče (Acarina) štátnej on leg segments (leg formula): Leg I: Cx (1) – Tr (1) prírodnej rezervácie Šrámková. 7: – Bf (1) – Tf (5) – G (4) – Ti (8) – Ta (19); Leg II: Cx 377–387. Zborník (1) – Tr (1) – Bf (2) – Tf (4) – G (3) – Ti (6) – Ta (16); KováčikVýchodoslovenského J, 1983a: Roztoče Múzea čeľade v Košiciach, Trombiculidae Prírodné (Aca vedy- Leg III: Cx (1) – Tr (1) – Bf (2) – Tf (3) – G (3) – Ti (6) rina) drobných zemných cicavcov Vihorlatu. – Ta (14). Leg lengths: I=258(251–270), II=236(224– 247), III=266(255–278), Ip=760(735–783). 23: 183–190. Kováčik, J. 1983bPráce: TrombikulySlovenskej entomologickej (Acarina, Trombiculidae) spoločnosti Host – unknown. Záhorskej nížiny so zreteľom na prírodné ohniská tu- DISCUssION SAV, Bratislava larémie. Neotrombicula elegans 3: 137–139. Kováčik J, 1983c: Kliešte (Ixodidae), zamatkovce (Trom- The species was described biculidae) a vši (Anoplura) parazitujúceOchrana na drobných prírody from Ukraine (Schluger, 1966) and it´s geograph- zemných cicavcoch žijúcich v Ľubochnianskej doline ic distribution included area of Zakarpatsko only, vo Veľkej Fatre (Západné Karpaty). 4: 211–221. 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The medical or veterinary importance Mašán P, Kalúz S, Babjaková A,Biologia 1994: Mites (Bratislava) (Acarina) of this chigger species is not known. The specimens from the winter nests of the common mole (Talpa from Ukraine differ from Slovak specimens main- europaea) in South Slovakia. 5: ly by longer legs (Ip = 935), shorter AM seta reach- 667–673. ing to caudal margin of scutum and two–pronged SchlugerParazity, EG, promezhutochnye 1966: Novye vidy khozjajeva kleshchej ipodsemejstva perenoschiki. palptibial claw, while Slovak specimens have short- Trombiculinae Ewing (Acariformes, Trombiculidae). er legs (Ip = 771-850), longer AM seta reaching well 102 Kalúz S & Vrabec M: Neotrombicula elegans in Slovakia Kiev, Naukovaya Dumka Acarologia , 208–215. Trombiculinae Ewing 1944 (Acarina: Trombiculi- Vercammen–Grandjean PH, 1960: Introduction `a dae). 2: 469–471. un essai de classification rationnelle des larves de .