A comprehensive survey of Rhinonyssid mites (Mesostigmata: Rhinonyssidae) in Northwest Russia: New mite-host associations and prevalence data

Abstract

Rhinonyssid mites are permanent parasites of birds that inhabit their respiratory tract. There are around 600 species described worldwide and almost all species of birds are found to have embedded rhinonyssid mites. Despite their presumed relevance, these mites are largely unstudied due to the difficulty in sampling them and, therefore, the majority of mite-host associations and species-prevalence data are unknown. In this study, 179 mite specimens belonging to 27 species and eight genera were identified. Notably, 18 new mite-bird associations were documented for the first time, thus increasing the known host range for these mite species. In addition, mite-host associations found in this study were compared with known associations from these species of birds in the European part of Russia and in Europe. Overall, this study represents the largest survey to date carried out on rhinonyssid mites in Russia and one of the most comprehensive datasets on rhinonyssid host-range.

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

“…To our knowledge, this is the first paper that explores these estimates for M. streptopeliae. Regarding M. columbae, only three publications explore this kind of data: Crossley (1952), who reported a prevalence of 20% in 60 pigeons [52]; Wilson (1964), who found a prevalence of 7% after examining 15 pigeons [23]; Rojas et al (2020), who found a prevalence of 1.9% after examining 262 pigeons in St. Petersburg (Russia) [48]. Meanwhile, we found a prevalence of 6%.…”

“…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.…”

“…We offer a complete re-description together with highly detailed illustrations of the species mentioned, including all the features that other authors noted (Figures 3-5 To understand the relationship between parasites and hosts, it is crucial to obtain basic epidemiological information such as the prevalence, the intensity of infection, and the identity of the species involved. Until now, the most explored epidemiological aspect in the family Rhinonyssidae is the identification of the interacting species [48,49]. Nevertheless, in most of the species, mite information related with prevalence and intensity is almost unknown.…”

“…Meanwhile, we found a prevalence of 6%. In the case of M. melloi, there is more information available: Crossley (1952) found a prevalence of 25% after examining 60 pigeons in Texas (USA) [52]; Wilson (1964) found a prevalence of 7% after examining 15 pigeons in Indiana (USA) [23]; Rózsa (1990) found a prevalence of 23% or 42%, depending on the host population, in Hungary [53]; Foronda et al (2004) found a prevalence of 10% in 50 pigeons in Tenerife (Spain) [54]; and Rojas et al (2020) found a prevalence of 1.1% after examining 262 pigeons in St. Petersburg (Russia) [48]. Meanwhile, we found a prevalence of 34%, one of the highest ever reported.…”

Genome-resolved metagenomic analyses reveal the presence of a bacterial endosymbiont in an avian nasal mite (Rhinonyssidae; Mesostigmata)

“…On some occasions, mites have an intimate association (symbiosis) with a different organism, which, in the most extreme scenario (permanent symbionts), represents the habitat in which they undergo their entire life-cycle [9]. For example, a single species of insect, mammal, or bird can often host several mite species and have different types of interactions with them [9,[10][11][12]. The nature of these interactions can range from mutualism (e.g., mites inhabiting and cleaning birds' feathers; [13]) to parasitism (e.g., mites inhabiting the nasal passages and lungs of seals causing illness to them; [14,15]).…”