Nasal mites (Mesostigmata, Rhinonyssidae) in Sternidae (Aves: Charadriiformes) on the southern Coast of Brazil

Abstract

Six species of birds of the family Sternidae are often found on the southern coast of South America. Sterna trudeaui, S. hirundinacea, Thalasseus maximus, T. acuflavidus and Sternula superciliaris are South American residents and Sterna hirundo, a Nearctic migrant. At least 500 species of nasal mites have been described around the world, and Rhinonyssidae is the most diverse family. These mites are bloodsucking endoparasites that inhabit the respiratory system of birds. This study aimed to report on occurrences of nasal mites in Sternidae on the southern coast of Brazil. Of the 106 birds analyzed, 8.5% (9 birds) were parasitized by nasal mites. This report provides the first record in the Neotropical region for two mite species, Sternostoma boydi and Larinyssus orbicularis parasitizing Thalasseus acuflavidus and Sternula superciliaris. No nasal mites were found in Sterna trudeaui or Thalasseus maximus. One host individual (T. acuflavidus) was parasitized by two species of nasal mites, S. boydi and L. orbicularis.

Endoparasitic Mites (Rhinonyssidae) on Urban Pigeons and Doves: Updating Morphological and Epidemiological Information

“…The morphological information published until now on rhinonyssids is abundant but not very detailed, and the illustrations are not as exhaustive as the ones we provide. Furthermore, epidemiological studies are frequently based on the analyses of a few hosts, which makes the epidemiological survey inaccurate due to the low prevalence of the species studied [9][10][11][12][13] (but see [48]). We offer a detailed survey of the nasal mite species found in 250 C. livia domestica and 250 S. decaocto.…”

“…Unfortunately, some aspects of the family Rhinonyssidae have been neglected in research, and our knowledge about them is scarce. Most studies are focused on identifying the participants in the host-parasite relationships through the study of just a few of specimens of each host species, which leads to inaccurate epidemiology [9][10][11][12][13]. This is partially due to the tiny size of the individuals, the expertise needed for their morphological identification and the requirements for sampling.…”

Parasitism of the nasal mite Sternostoma tracheacolum Lawrence, 1948 (Mesostigmata: Rhinonyssidae) in captive birds in Brazil

“…species recorded parasitizing birds of the order Apodiformes, Charadriiformes, Passeriformes, Psittaciformes and Strigiformes, across the Brazilian territory, except for the northeast region (CASTRO, 1948;FAIN & BASTIN, 1959;AMARAL, 1962;1968;FAIN & AITKEN, 1968, 1969, 1971AMARAL & REBOUÇAS, 1974a;MASCARENHAS et al, 2011;MENDES et al, 2014;BERNARDON et al, 2017;MASCARENHAS et al, 2018;SILVA et al, 2018;SANTOS et al, 2018). Sternostoma tracheacolum Lawrence, 1948 is spread worldwide and has been recorded in both captive and wild birds.…”