Infestation and distribution of chigger mites on Chevrieri's field mouse (Apodemus chevrieri) in Southwest China. (April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Yan-Ling; Guo, Xian-Guo; Ren, Tian-Guang; Zhang, Lei; Fan, Rong; Zhao, Cheng-Fu; Zhang, Zhi-Wei; Mao, Ke-Yu; Huang, Xiao-Bin; Qian, Ti-Jun
• Is Part Of: International journal for parasitology. Volume 17(2022)
• Page Start: 74
• Page End: 82
• Publication Date: 2022-04
• Subjects: Acari -- Chigger mite -- Ectoparasite -- Rodent -- Apodemus chevrieri -- Southwest China; Parasites -- Periodicals; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Animals -- Periodicals; Wildlife diseases -- Periodicals; Parasites -- Periodicals; Animals, Wild -- Periodicals; Animals; Parasites; Parasitology; Wildlife diseases; Periodicals; 591.7857
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.12.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2213-2244

Abstract

Abstract: Based on a long-term field investigation on chigger mites in southwest China from 2001 to 2019, the present study analyzed the infestation and distribution of chigger mites on the Chevrieri's field mouse ( Apodemus chevrieri ) in the region. A total of 12, 516 individuals of chigger mites were collected from 1981 A. chevrieri mice, and 12, 281 chiggers were identified as 107 species, 11 genera and 3 subfamilies in 2 families, which revealed a high species diversity of the mites on A. chevrieri mice. Of 1981 A. chevrieri mice, 633 ones were infested with chiggers with a relatively high overall prevalence ( P M = 31.95%), mean abundance ( MA = 6.32) and mean intensity ( MI = 19.77). Of the 107 chigger species identified from A. chevrieri mice, three ones were the most dominant and they were Leptrombidium scutellare, L. densipunctatum and L. cricethrionis, which showed aggregated distribution among different individuals of the mice. A slightly positive association existed between every two dominant chigger species, which implied that the dominant chigger species tend to co-exist on A. chevrieri . The infestations of A. chevrieri with chiggers varied in different latitudes, altitudes and landscapes and they showed some heterogeneity along different environmental gradients. The logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for chigger infestations on A. chevrieri were landscapes, ages and altitudes, which implied that the environmental factors and host ages could influence the infestations of the mice with the mites. A theoretical curve of the species abundance distribution of chigger mites on A. chevrieri was successfully fitted by Preston's lognormal model, suggesting that the species abundance distribution conforms to the lognormal distribution pattern. The expected total species of chigger mites on A. chevrieri was roughly estimated to be 136 species and about 29 rare chigger species were probably missed in the sampling field investigation. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Infestation and distribution of chigger mites on Apodemus chevrieri in Southwest China. Risk factors of infestations of Apodemus chevrieri with chigger mites. It is the first time to study the chigger mites of Apodemus chevrieri in such a wide geographical region.