Effect of ectoparasitic Pimeliaphilus plumifer mites (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) on Meccus pallidipennis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) and several other Chagas’ disease vectors under laboratory conditions

Abstract

Several biological parameters were evaluated to determine the capacity of Pimeliaphilus plumifer as biological control agent of Triatominae bugs. When P. plumifer and bugs of a variety of triatomine species were forced together in cages in the laboratory, the incidence of mite infestation was the following: Meccus pallidipennis > M. bassolsae > Triatoma rubida > M. longipennis > M. picturatus, and practically no mites were found on T. infestans and Rhodnius prolixus. Adults and hexapod larvae of P. plumifer were the only stages found to parasitize on M. pallidipennis. Fourth and fifth instar nymphs of this bug appeared most susceptible to mite infestation. P. plumifer mites located preferably on the coxae, ventral abdomen and pronotum of M. pallidipennis bugs. The number of blood meals, amount of ingested blood, and resistance to starvation of M. pallidipennis were similar in both the control and the mite infested groups. On the other hand, mite infection reduced molting rate in nymphs and longevity in adults, increased mortality in third-fifth instar nymphs, and fewer viable eggs were laid by females infected with P. plumifer. These effects could be related with nutritional deficiencies. Our results support the use of P. plumifer mites as control agents of host Triatominae species.

Low Trypanosoma cruzi transmission risk to humans in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas

“…Since P. plumifer is the only mite that has been found on T. rubida , this is most likely the species found in our study. Our study revealed slightly higher Pimeliaphilus infestation rates than previous reports ( Anderson, 1968 ; Martinez-Sanchez et al, 2007 ).…”

“…Pimeliaphilus mites can significantly reduce fitness of triatomine hosts through reduced egg viability and increased mortality ( Anderson, 1968 ; Martinez-Sanchez et al, 2007 ). There is no evidence that these parasitic mites ingest Trypanosoma cruzi from triatomines as the trypanosome does not enter triatomine hemolymph, however they have ingested and may transmit Trypanosoma rangeli between triatomine species ( Anderson, 1968 ).…”

First report of mites of the genusLeptus(Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae) on the endemic kissing bugMepraia spinolai(Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

“…To our best knowledge, this is the first report of a mite parasitizing the triatomine vector Mepraia spinolai. Martinez-Sanchez et al (2007) observed longer moulting times, higher mortality of fifth instar nymphs, lower egg production and lower nymph hatching in M. pallidipennis parasitized by the mite Plumifer pimeliaphilus compared with a control group of the same trimatomine. This is of special interest due to the implication that other ectoparasites may have similar effects on the population dynamics of the insect vectors of Chagas disease.…”

Distribución geográfica del género Pimeliaphilus Trägårdh (Acari: Prostigmata) asociados a triatominos (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

“…Se han realizado varios trabajos en los cuales se describen diferentes aspectos de la biología de estos ácaros, entre los que se destacan: la dificultad en el manejo de las colonias de triatominos infestadas por P. triatomae, los efectos sobre la mortalidad, oviposición y viabilidad de los huevos de Triatoma pallidipennis (= Meccus pallidipennis Stål) infestadas con P. triatomae, la evaluación de los efectos de P. plumifer en T. pallidipennis (= M. pallidipennis), T. bassolsae (=M. bassolsae Alejandre & Nogueda), T. longipennis (= M. longipennis Usinger), T. picturatus (= M. picturatus Usinger), Rhodnius prolixus Stål , T. rubida Uhler y T. infestans Klug, y la prevalencia a campo de P. zeledoni en T. dimidiata Latreille, entre otros (Undiano & Schictong, 1967;Calderón, 1998;Zumaquero et al, 2004;Martínez-Sánchez et al, 2007).…”