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Richness, infestation and specificity of spinturnicid mites (Acari: Spinturnicidae) on bats in southern Oaxaca, Mexico

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Abstract

Studies of mites on bats in the Mexican state Oaxaca are scarce. Our objective was therefore to evaluate the richness, infestation, and specificity of spinturnicid mites on bats in southern Oaxaca, Mexico. Bats were monthly captured from April 2010 to February 2011, in four sites using four mist-nets; also, we visited natural (crevices) and artificial roosts (tunnel). Of each bat we account the number of spinturnicid mites, considering the area of the body where they were collected. Mites were preserved in 70 % ethanol and later they were mounted on microscope slides in Hoyer’s medium. We captured bats of 15 species, of which eight species were infested. We recorded seven spinturnicid mites: five of the genus Periglischrus, one of the genus Cameronieta, and one of the genus Mesoperiglischrus. Periglischrus caligus, P. iheringi, and Periglischrus sp. are new records on Artibeus lituratus, Glossophaga soricina, and G. commissarisi, respectively. More infested bat species were Artibeus jamaicensis (93.8 %), A. lituratus (88.9 %), G. commissarisi and Sturnira parvidens (both 66.7 %). Prevalence of A. jamaicensis and A. lituratus was significantly higher than most other bat species. Although prevalence percentage was high, mean and median intensity were low. Spinturnicid mites were recorded in particular areas of a bat’s body; therefore, they could be an additional tool for the taxonomic identification of bats.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) for the authorization of special collection permits. Also, we thank authorities of the Universidad del Mar, campus Puerto Escondido for the logistic support. Finally, Marilyn Vásquez Cruz provided valuable assistance in the laboratory. Useful comments were provided by two anonymous reviewers.

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  1. Instituto de Ecología, Universidad del Mar, Km 1.5 de la carretera Puerto Escondido-Sola de Vega, C.P. 71980, Puerto Escondido, San Pedro Mixtepec, Juquila, Oaxaca, Mexico

    Helisama Colín-Martínez & Carlos García-Estrada

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  1. Helisama Colín-Martínez
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  2. Carlos García-Estrada
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Correspondence to Helisama Colín-Martínez.

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Colín-Martínez, H., García-Estrada, C. Richness, infestation and specificity of spinturnicid mites (Acari: Spinturnicidae) on bats in southern Oaxaca, Mexico. Exp Appl Acarol 70, 155–164 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-016-0066-x

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