Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Analysis of gamasid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with the Asian house rat, Rattus tanezumi (Rodentia: Muridae) in Yunnan Province, Southwest China

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

During a survey lasting from 1990 to 2008, we captured 4,113 Asian house rats, Rattus tanezumi Temminck 1844 (Rodentia: Muridae) from 28 counties of Yunnan Province in Southwestern China. From these rats, a total of 19,304 gamasid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) were collected and identified as comprising 50 different species. The species diversity of gamasid mites from this single rat species is higher than that reported previously from multiple hosts within a given geographical region. Of the 50 mite species, 31 species belonged to ectoparasites and 19 species belonged to free-living mites. The species diversity of the mites from rats trapped outdoors was much higher than from rats trapped indoors. The parameter K from the negative binomial distribution was used to measure the spatial distribution patterns of the dominant mite species and revealed that all the mites had an aggregated distribution among the rat hosts. Most mite species showed a predominantly female-biased population structure with many more females than males.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander JO (1984) Infestation with gamasid mites. In: Arthropods and Human Skin. Springer, Berlin, pp 303–315

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson RM, May RM (1978) Regulation and stability of host-parasite population interactions I regulatory processes. J Anim Ecol 47(1):219–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker EW, Evans TM, Gould DJ, Hull WB, Keegan HL (1956) A manual of parasitic mites of medical or economic importance. National Pest Control Association Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bush AO, Lafferty KD, Lotz JM, Shostak AW (1997) Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms. J Parasitol 83(4):575–583

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Changbunjong T, Jirapattharasate C, Buddhirongawatr R (2010) Ectoparasitic fauna of birds and volant and non-volant small mammals captured at Srinakarin Dam, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. SE Asian J Trop Med Publ Health 41(3):526–535

    Google Scholar 

  • Chung SL, Hwang SJ, Kwon SB, Kim DW, Jun JB, Cho BK (1998) Outbreak of rat mite dermatitis in medical students. Int J Dermatol 37(8):591–594

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crofton HD (1971) A quantitative approach to parasitism. Parasitol 62(2):179–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng GF, Wang DQ, Gu YM, Meng YC (1993) Economic insect fauna of China. Fasc 40, Acari, Dermanyssoidea. Science Press, Beijing (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Diker KD, Heermann F, Bausch WC, Wright DK (2004) Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index for linking yield. Monitor and remotely sensed data for corn. T ASAE 47(4):1347–1354

    Google Scholar 

  • Durden LA, Banks CW, Clark KL, Belbey BV, Oliver JH Jr (1997) Ectoparasite fauna of the eastern woodrat, Neotoma florinana, composition, origin, and comparison with ectoparasite fauna of western woodrat species. J Parasitol 83(3):374–381

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Durden LA, Ellis BA, Banks CW, Crowe JD, Oliver JH Jr (2004) Ectoparasites of gray squirrels in two different habitats and screening of selected ectoparasites for Bartonellae. J Parasitol 90(3):485–489

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guo XG (1997) Spatial pattern analysis of Laelaps echidninus and Laelaps nuttalli using Iwao’s method and a significance test of random deviation. Syst Appl Acarol 2:89–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo XG (1998) Host-specificity and host-selection of gamasid mites (Acari, Gamasina). Syst Appl Acarol 3:29–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo XG (1999a) Cluster of ectoparasitic gamasid mites and their small mammal hosts in different habitat regions in western Yunnan. Syst Appl Acarol 4:39–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo XG (1999b) Species-abundance distribution and expected species estimation of the gamasid mite community in western Yunnan, China. Syst Appl Acarol 4:49–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo XG, Qian TJ (2001) Sex ratio and age structure of gamasid mites from small mammals in western Yunnan, China. Entomol Sin 8(2):166–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo XG, Gong ZD, Qian TJ, Feng XG, Duan XD, Li W, Zhang XK (2000) Spatial pattern analysis of Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera, Pulicidae) on its dominant rat host, Rattus flavipectus in the foci of human plague in Yunnan, China. Entomol Sin 7(1):47–52

    Google Scholar 

  • He JH, Liang Y, Zhang HY (1997) A study on the transmission of plague through seven kinds of fleas in rat type and wild rodent type plague foci in Yunnan. Chin J Epid 18(4):236–240

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heukelbach J, Walton SF, Feldmeier H (2005) Ectoparasitic infestations. Curr Infect Dis Rep 7(5):373–380

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huang LQ, Guo XG (2010) Research advance in the vector gamasid mites and animal hosts of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Chin J Vec Biol Contr 21(3):272–275 (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang WJ, Chen YX, Wen YX (1995) Rodents of China. Fudan University Press, Shanghai (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang LQ, Guo XG, Wu D, Zhou DH (2010) Distribution and ecological niches of gamasid mites (Acari, Mesostigmata) on small mammals in Southwest China. Psyche 2010:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonsson CB, Figueiredo LTM, Vapalahti O (2010) A global perspective on hantavirus ecology, epidemiology, and disease. Clinl Microbiol Rev 23(2):412–441

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy CR (1976) Reproduction and dispersal ecological aspects of parasitology. North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Korallo NP, Vinarski MV, Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Mouillot D, Poulin R (2007) Are there general rules governing parasite diversity? Small mammalian hosts and gamasid mite assemblages. Divers Distrib 13(3):353–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korneev VA (2002) Ecological connections between gamasid mites (Arachnida, Gamasoidea) and small mammals in forest biotopes of the Middle Volga Region. Russ J Ecol 34(2):133–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krebs CJ (1985) Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. Harper and Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo LP, Guo XG, Qian TJ, Wu D, Men XY, Dong WG (2007) Distribution of gamasid mites on small mammals in Yunnan Province, China. Insect Sci 14(1):71–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magurran A (1988) Ecological diversity and its measurement. Croom Helm Ltd, Australia

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Margolis L, Esch GW, Holmes JC, Kuris AM, Schad GA (1982) The use of ecological terms in parasitology (report of an ad hoc committee of the American Society of Parasitologists). J Parasitol 68(1):131–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martins-Hatano F, Gettinger D, Bergallo HG (2002) Ecology and host specificity of Laelapine mites (Acari, Laelapidae) of small mammals in an Atlantic forest area of Brazil. J Parasitol 88(1):36–40

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Men XY, Guo XG, Dong WG, Niu AQ, Qian TJ, Wu D (2007) Ectoparasites of Chevrier’s fieldmouse, Apodemus chevrieri, in a focus of plague in Southwest China. Med Vet Entomol 21(3):297–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Oguge NO, Durden LA, Keirans JE, Balami HD, Schwan TG (2009) Ectoparasites (sucking lice, fleas, and ticks) of small mammals in southeastern Kenya. Med Vet Entomol 23(4):387–392

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver JH Jr (1977) Cytogenetics of mites and ticks. Annu Rev Entomol 22(1):407–429

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pan ZW, Deng GF (1980) Economic insect fauna of China. Fasc 17 Acariformes, Gamasina. Science Press, Beijing (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Paramasvaran S, Sani RA, Hassan L (2009) Ectoparasite fauna of rodents and shrews from four habitats in Kuala Lumpur and the states of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia and its public health significance. Trop Biomed 26(3):303–311

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Plyusnina A, Ibrahim IN, Plyusnin A (2009) A newly recognized hantavirus in the Asian house rat (Rattus tanezumi) in Indonesia. J Gen Viro 90(1):205–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Proctor HC (2003) Feather mites (Acari, Astigmata): ecology, behavior, and evolution. Annu Rev Entomol 48(1):185–209

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Radovsky FJ (1985) Evolution of mammalian mesostigmatid mites co-evolution of parasitic arthropods and mammals. John Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Radovsky FJ (1994) The evolution of parasitism and the distribution of some dermanyssoid mites (Mesostigmata) on vertebrate hosts. In: Houck MA (ed) Mites, ecological and evolutionary analyses of life-history patterns. Chapman and Hall, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Radovsky FJ, Tenorio JM, Tomich PO, Jacobi JD (1975) Acari on murine rodents along an altitudinal transect on Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Island Ecosyst Tech Rep 58:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritzi CM, Whitaker JO Jr (2003) Ectoparasites of small mammals from the Newport Chemical Depot, Vermillion County, Indiana. Northeast Nat 10(2):149–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohde K (1993) Ecology of marine parasites (2nd). CAB International (Commonwealth Bureaux of Agriculture), Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen S, Yeruham I, Braverman Y (2002) Dermatitis in humans associated with the mites Pyemotes tritici, Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus bacoti, and Androlaelaps casalis in Israel. Med Vet Entomol 16(4):442–444

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shannon CE, Weaner W (1949) The mathematical theory of communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana

    Google Scholar 

  • Simberloff D, Moore J (1997) Community ecology of parasites and free-living animals. In: Clayton DH et al (eds) Host-parasite evolution, general principles and avian models. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Singleton GR (2003) Impacts of rodents on rice production in Asia. IRRI Discussion Paper Series, Los Banos, Philippines

  • Singleton GR, Brown PR, Jacobs J (2004) Ecologically-based rodent management-effectiveness in cropping systems in Southeast Asia. Neth J Agr Sci 52:163–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Skorupski M, Luxton M (1998) Mesostigmatid mites (Acari, Parasitiformes) associated with yew (Taxus baccata) in England and Wales. J Nat Hist 32(3):419–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song G (1999) Epidemiological progresses of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in China. Chin Med J 112(5):472–477

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Storm JJ, Ritzi CM (2008) Ectoparasites of small mammals in western Iowa. Northeast Nat 15(2):283–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tobin ME, Fall MW (2004) Pest control, rodents. USDA National Wildlife Research Center Staff Publications

  • Vinarski MV, Korallo NP, Krasnov BR, Shenbrot GI, Poulin R (2007) Decay of similarity of gamasid mite assemblages parasitic on Palaearctic small mammals, geographic distance, host-species composition, or environment. J Biogeogr 34(10):1691–1700

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walter DE, Lindquist EE (1989) Life history and behavior of mites in the genus Lasioseius (Acari, Mesostigmata, Ascidae) from grassland soils in Colorado, with taxonomic notes and description of a new species. Can J Zool 67(11):2797–2813

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Jin LX, Qi ZZ (1996) The checklist of arthropods naturally infected with Y. pestis in each natural focus of plague in China. Endem Dis Bull 11(1):50–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters WE (1959) A quantitative measure of aggregation in insects. J Econ Entomol 52(6):1180–1184

    Google Scholar 

  • Weeks AR, Hoffmann AA (1999) The biology of Penthaleus species in south eastern Australia. Entomol Exp Appl 92(2):179–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitaker JO Jr (1988) Collecting and preserving ectoparasites for ecological study. In: Kunz JH (ed) Ecological and behavioral methods for the study of bats. Smithsonian Institution Press, Maryland

    Google Scholar 

  • White GC, Bennetts RE (1996) Analysis of frequency count data using the negative binomial distribution. Ecology 77(8):2549–2557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson DE, Reeder DAM (2005) Mammals species of the world, a taxonomic and geographic reference, 3rd edn. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu JW, Meng YC, Li YH (1998a) Detection of HFRSV in Eulaepas shanghaiensis and Ornithonyssus bacoti by using in situ hybridization. Chin J Parasitol Parasit Dis 16(6):441–444

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu JW, Meng YC, Li YH (1998b) Biting of Eulaepas stabularis with in situ hybridization. Chin J Zoonos 14(3):3–8 (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang Y, Tian K, Hao J, Pei S, Yang Y (2004) Biodiversity and biodiversity conservation in Yunnan, China. Biodivers Conserv 13(4):813–826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin JX, Geater A, Chongsuvivatwong V, Dong XQ, Du CH (2011) Predictors for abundance of host flea and floor flea in households of villages with endemic commensal rodent plague, Yunnan Province, China. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 5(3):e997. doi:10.1371/journalpntd0000300

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Young SS, Wang ZJ (1989) Comparison of secondary and primary forests in the Ailao Shan region of Yunnan, China. For Ecol Manag 28(3–4):281–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Younis TA, Fayad ME, Hariry MA, Morsy TA (1995) Interaction between acari ectoparasites and rodents in Suez Governorate. Egypt J Egyp Soc Parasitol 25:377–394

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Tao KH, Zhu J, Wu GH, Jiang KJ, Zhang JJ, Zhou YP (2000) Investigation of the relationship between gamasid mites, chigger mites, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. China Public Health 16(6):525–526 (In Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Zhu J, Deng XZ, Wu GH, Zhang JJ, Zhou YP (2001) Experimental study on the roles of gasmid mite and chigger mite in the transmission of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome virus. Chin J Epidemiol 22(5):352–354 (In Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao ZM, Guo YQ (1990) Principle and methods of community ecology. Publishing House of Scientific and Technical Documentation, Chongqing (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the following people for their contributions and help in the field investigation and laboratory work: Ti-jun Qian, Wei Li, Xing-yuan Men, Sheng-yong Zhang, Yan-fen Meng, Tian-guang Ren, Yong-guang Jing, Yi Yan, Qiao-Hua Wang, and some college students in Dali University. The project was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China to Xian-guo Guo (no. 30760226, 81060139, and 81160208).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vector Laboratory, Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Dali University (Branch of Key Laboratory for Preventing and Controlling Plague of Yunnan Province), Dali, Yunnan, 671000, China

    Li-Qin Huang, Xian-Guo Guo & Wen-Ge Dong

  2. School of Life and Medical Sciences, Xinyu University, Xinyu, Jiangxi, 338004, China

    Li-Qin Huang

  3. Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK

    John R. Speakman

  4. Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    John R. Speakman

Authors
  1. Li-Qin Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xian-Guo Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John R. Speakman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wen-Ge Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xian-Guo Guo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Huang, LQ., Guo, XG., Speakman, J.R. et al. Analysis of gamasid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with the Asian house rat, Rattus tanezumi (Rodentia: Muridae) in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Parasitol Res 112, 1967–1972 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3354-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3354-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation