Distribution of chigger mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) over hosts, parasitopes, collection localities, and seasons in northern Iran

Stekolnikov, Alexandr A.; Shamsi, Mohsen; Saboori, Alireza; Golpayegani, Azadeh Zahedi; Hakimitabar, Masoud

doi:10.1007/s10493-021-00680-w

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Multiple invasions, quite commonly observed in Trombiculidae (e.g., Moniuszko et al 2018 ; Jacinavicius et al 2021 ; Stekolnikov et al 2022 ), have also been discovered in the present study. The likely occurrence of simultaneous parasitism of representatives of various genera and species on the same host, entails the necessity to examine all specimens which are present in the material.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Let me know your name: a study of chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) associated with the edible dormouse (Glis glis) in the Carpathian–Balkan distribution gradient

2023

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Trombiculid mites were collected from the edible dormouse (Glis glis) within the Carpathian–Balkan distribution gradient of host species. Representatives of five genera (Leptotrombidium, Neotrombicula, Brunehaldia, Hirsutiella, Schoutedenichia) and 10 species of chiggers were discovered in the material, based on morphological and/or molecular data. Brunehaldia, new to the fauna of Greece, was recorded for the first time from the edible dormouse. Neotrombicula talmiensis was new to the fauna of Greece and Neotrombicula vulgaris was new to the fauna of North Macedonia. Successful amplification and sequencing of COI was carried out in relation to three genera and six species. The intraspecific variation of taxa hitherto distinguished based on morphological criteria was juxtaposed with molecular data, using the distance method and the phylogenetic approach. The molecular methods indicated wider than hitherto recognized, intraspecific morphological variation for Leptotrombidium europaeum and N. talmiensis. On the other hand, an inference limited to morphology proved to be insufficient for species delineation, which was confirmed by the relatively low identity (%) of examined COI sequences as well as the size of inter-/intraspecific K2P distance threshold. Our study provides support for integrative taxonomy that combines different sources of evidence and contributes to recognition of the scope of intraspecific variation. The high degree of hidden diversity revealed with the application of molecular tools, votes for a careful approach to the identification of chiggers. The confirmed cases of co-invasion, including the representatives of various genera (Leptotrombidium and Neotrombicula, Brunehaldia and Neotrombicula, Neotrombicula and Schoutedenichia, Hirsutiella and Schoutedenichia) additionally support the need to include all larvae found on a given host specimen in the identification process.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Let me know your name: a study of chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) associated with the edible dormouse (Glis glis) in the Carpathian–Balkan distribution gradient

2023

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“…Importantly, it has never been detected in arthropods or mammalian blood, but only ear punch biopsies. Our data suggest that chiggers (many species of which have a predilection for the pinna and ear canal as feeding sites) [ 64 ] may be the vector for this micromammal clade of borreliae. While we cannot rule out that the Borrelia spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiome and mitogenomics of the chigger mite Pentidionis agamae: potential role as an Orientia vector and associations with divergent clades of Wolbachia and Borrelia

Alkathiry,

Alghamdi,

Sinha

et al. 2024

BMC Genomics

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Background Trombiculid mites are globally distributed, highly diverse arachnids that largely lack molecular resources such as whole mitogenomes for the elucidation of taxonomic relationships. Trombiculid larvae (chiggers) parasitise vertebrates and can transmit bacteria (Orientia spp.) responsible for scrub typhus, a zoonotic febrile illness. Orientia tsutsugamushi causes most cases of scrub typhus and is endemic to the Asia-Pacific Region, where it is transmitted by Leptotrombidium spp. chiggers. However, in Dubai, Candidatus Orientia chuto was isolated from a case of scrub typhus and is also known to circulate among rodents in Saudi Arabia and Kenya, although its vectors remain poorly defined. In addition to Orientia, chiggers are often infected with other potential pathogens or arthropod-specific endosymbionts, but their significance for trombiculid biology and public health is unclear. Results Ten chigger species were collected from rodents in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Chiggers were pooled according to species and screened for Orientia DNA by PCR. Two species (Microtrombicula muhaylensis and Pentidionis agamae) produced positive results for the htrA gene, although Ca. Orientia chuto DNA was confirmed by Sanger sequencing only in P. agamae. Metagenomic sequencing of three pools of P. agamae provided evidence for two other bacterial associates: a spirochaete and a Wolbachia symbiont. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and multi-locus sequence typing genes placed the spirochaete in a clade of micromammal-associated Borrelia spp. that are widely-distributed globally with no known vector. For the Wolbachia symbiont, a genome assembly was obtained that allowed phylogenetic localisation in a novel, divergent clade. Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcodes for Saudi Arabian chiggers enabled comparisons with global chigger diversity, revealing several cases of discordance with classical taxonomy. Complete mitogenome assemblies were obtained for the three P. agamae pools and almost 50 SNPs were identified, despite a common geographic origin. Conclusions P. agamae was identified as a potential vector of Ca. Orientia chuto on the Arabian Peninsula. The detection of an unusual Borrelia sp. and a divergent Wolbachia symbiont in P. agamae indicated links with chigger microbiomes in other parts of the world, while COI barcoding and mitogenomic analyses greatly extended our understanding of inter- and intraspecific relationships in trombiculid mites.

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“…However, W. oudemansi exhibited negative associations with both L. deliense and A. indica in Johor and positive associations with these species in Perak, indicating context-specific competition that may be driven by the different levels of chigger diversity and abundance at each site. Differences in host composition between states might also modulate chigger interspecific competition; for instance, a study in Iran showed that the preferred “parasitope” (predilection site) on the host varied significantly between chigger species [ 51 ]. Thus, the abundance and size of certain hosts in conjunction with the preferred parasitopes of the local chigger community could affect the degree of competition in particular habitats and seasons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat and Season Drive Chigger Mite Diversity and Abundance on Small Mammals in Peninsular Malaysia

et al. 2022

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Chigger mites are vectors of the bacterial disease scrub typhus, caused by Orientia spp. The bacterium is vertically transmitted in the vector and horizontally transmitted to terrestrial vertebrates (primarily wild small mammals), with humans as incidental hosts. Previous studies have shown that the size of the chigger populations is correlated with the density of small mammals in scrub typhus-endemic regions. Here, we explore interactions between the small mammals and chiggers in two oil palm plantations located in the Perak and Johor states of Peninsular Malaysia. The location in Perak also contained an aboriginal (Orang Asli) settlement. A ~5% sub-sample from 40,736 chigger specimens was identified from five species of small mammals (n = 217), revealing 14 chigger species, including two new records for Malaysia. The abundance and species richness of chiggers were significantly affected by habitat type (highest in forest border), state (highest in Perak), and season (highest in dry). The overall prevalence of Orientia tsutsugamushi DNA in small-mammal tissues was 11.7% and was not significantly affected by host or habitat characteristics, but in Johor, was positively associated with infestation by Leptotrombidium arenicola. These findings highlight the risk of contracting scrub typhus in oil palm plantations and associated human settlements.

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Distribution of chigger mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) over hosts, parasitopes, collection localities, and seasons in northern Iran

Cited by 6 publications

References 19 publications

Let me know your name: a study of chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) associated with the edible dormouse (Glis glis) in the Carpathian–Balkan distribution gradient

Let me know your name: a study of chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) associated with the edible dormouse (Glis glis) in the Carpathian–Balkan distribution gradient

Microbiome and mitogenomics of the chigger mite Pentidionis agamae: potential role as an Orientia vector and associations with divergent clades of Wolbachia and Borrelia

Habitat and Season Drive Chigger Mite Diversity and Abundance on Small Mammals in Peninsular Malaysia

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