Introduction

The relationships formed between selected groups of invertebrates, especially mites and birds or mammals and their substrates, may be diverse. Relationships, for instance parasitic and phoretic associations, relating to the spread of arthropods that use vertebrates for this purpose have been analyzed frequently (de la Fuente et al. 2004; Gaglio et al. 2010; Gwiazdowicz et al. 2012; Haitlinger 1992; Haitlinger and Walter 1997; Oleaga et al. 2008). Specific microhabitats readily colonized by mites include the nests of birds (Bajerlein et al. 2006; Błoszyk et al. 2005, 2006, 2009; Gwiazdowicz et al. 2005, 2006; Krištofík et al. 2007; Tryjanowski et al. 2001) and mammals (Krawczyk et al. 2015; Mašán and Stanko 2005; Mal’kova 2010; Napierała et al. 2016; Okulova 2003) and also animal dung (Cicolani 1992; Gwiazdowicz 2000, 2001; Haloti et al. 2005).

Kazemi and Rajaei (2013) recently included 348 species belonging to 128 genera and 39 families in the checklist of the Iranian mesostigmatic mites. Nonetheless, the reports of some species parasitic on birds and mammals species were neglected. A number of those species neglected by Kazemi and Rajaei (2013), and included in this catalogue, are free-living in soil and litter, while others are inhabitants of transient habitats, are associated with other arthropods, or a few are associated with birds, their nests, or with mammals. Since many rodents are reservoirs of diseases, mites occurring on different host species may play an important role in epizootics and in the perpetuation of diseases, such as tularemia, relapsing fever and rickettsial infections (Baumstark et al. 2007; Di Palma et al. 2012; George et al. 2015).

Information on the mesostigmatic mite fauna in Iran, especially those that are associated with birds and mammals, is very poor. Few taxonomic studies have been conducted on the fauna of parasitic mites in Iran and the understanding of this fauna, arises from the results of taxonomic studies on the ectoparasites of birds (Ardeshir 2010; Moodi et al. 2014), rodents or some domestic animals (Motevalli-Haghi et al. 2000, 2002; Rafinejad et al. 2005; Rahdar and Vazirianzadeh 2009; Shayan and Rafinejad 2006) and bats (Vatandoost et al. 2010).

The purpose of this study is to summarize, organize and revise the current knowledge of mesostigmatic mites occurring on birds, their nests, and mammals in Iran. Data compiled will provide the possibility to assess the threat from harmful parasitic mites and contribute to other branches of research, for example zoogeography. Moreover, this study presents a comparison of the Iranian mesostigmatic fauna with other regions of the Palearctic allowing a greater insight into the relationships between mites and selected groups of vertebrates.

Materials and methods

Information concerning the species observed and their habitats or hosts was obtained from previous descriptions of the mite fauna of Iran in the literature. In addition, new data on the distribution of species previously recorded by authors of the present study are provided.

Materials were collected from different microhabitats and from different regions of Iran. The mesofauna from nests of birds and substrates of mammals was extracted by using Tullgren funnels. For parasitic species, rodents were captured alive in Khuzestan and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari provinces using cage traps. Mice were euthanased in the laboratory using chloroform and mites were separated from the bodies by washing in hot water mixed with some drops of detergent. Mites were cleared in lactophenol, mounted in Hoyer’s medium, and studied under a light microscope. The species list is sorted by genera and family and includes sampling data (date, locality, microhabitat or host). The coordinates presented describe the species distribution and do not refer to the sampling locations. Except for species previously reported by authors of this paper, we cannot confirm the correct identity of the species listed in the Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1 Inventory of the mesostigmatic mites associated with birds in Iran
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Table 2 Inventory of the mesostigmatic mites associated with mammals in Iran
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Results and discussion

An organized inventory of the mesostigmatic mites occurring on birds, in their nests, or with mammals in Iran so far is presented. The inventory takes into account current species names and was prepared from the present literature. Seventeen of these mites are associated with birds and 24 with mammals. Three species, Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus sylviarum and Parasitus hyalinus were reported in nests of both birds and substrates of mammals (Tables 1 and 2).

The majority of the species reported are either facultative or obligatory (altogether 26 of 38 species respectively) parasites of birds or mammals. In contrast, mites belonging to the genera Gaeolaelaps, Parasitus, Stratiolealaps, and species such as Eugamasus cavernicolus, Lasioseius penicilliger and Trachygamasus gracilis are not parasitic. They usually prefer decaying plant matter, compost or manure with straw and a surface comprised of leaf-litter. However, they may be transferred into the nests via the gathering of nest lining materials. Moreover, they can hitchhike on bodies of insects and occasionally with vertebrates, a form of phoresy (Hyatt 1980; Karg 1993).

Generally, the analyzed material was collected directly from bodies of mammals or birds, but also from places of their permanent presence e.g. nests. In the case of birds, numerous samples were collected from nests of unidentified bird species, while for mammals the material was collected from bodies of rodents living near humans such as Rattus norvegicus, R. rattus. Mus musculus and Tatera indica prevailed (Table 2).

The comparison of results obtained from Iran with other regions of the Palearctic revealed some similarities, but also differences in mite species compositions. Examples include the genus Laelaps, three species of which were reported from Iran, but, while Laelaps agilis and L. hilaris which are very frequent and numerous in Europe, they were not present in this country. Similarly the species Hirstionyssus butantanensis was collected whereas the common species H. isabellinus or H. sunci were not recorded. It is also interesting that parasitic mites of genus Haemogamasus, up to this time numerous and common in Europe and North Asia, have not been reported (Haitlinger 1988). Moreover, Eulaelaps stabularis, a parasite encountered so far on bodies of over 30 species of mammals and in nests of over 30 species of birds, was recorded. This is a widespread species with a range covering nearly all Eurasia and North America (Bregetova 1956; Mašán and Fenďa 2010). Steatonyssus periblepharus is a parasite of bats thus far recorded in many countries of Eurasia and North Africa (Haitlinger and Walter 1997). Moreover, Dermanyssus gallinae, a common parasite encountered on breeding (e.g. chickens) and wild birds, was also reported on mammals (George et al. 2015). Its negative impact on human health has been known for several decades as its bites can cause skin irritation and also transmit viral diseases (Baumstark et al. 2007; Reeves et al. 2007). Additionally, Ornithonyssus bacoti is a species widespread in the Palearctic and parasitizes many mammalian species e.g. Rattus sp. It is frequently found on mammals associated with humans and therefore, as in the case of D. gallinae, it may pose a threat of transmission of viral diseases to people (Abdigoudarzi et al. 2014; Di Palma et al. 2012; George et al. 2015). For the reasons above, a detailed knowledge on the occurrence of mite species and of host species (especially birds) in Iran is required to help determine risks to humans and to take actions to limit them.

Analysis of the European bird nest acarofauna inhabiting perennial nests, for instance eagles or storks (Błoszyk et al. 2005, 2006, 2009; Bajerlein et al. 2006; Gwiazdowicz et al. 2005, 2006; Philips 2000) and also annual nests (Ambros et al. 1992; Krištofík et al. 2007, 2013; Fenďa and Schniererová 2004; Tryjanowski et al. 2001), revealed that the list of mesostigmatic mites solely includes over 100 species. Of course, most of these species are sporadic species accidentally transferred to nests along with nest building material or by phoresy with insects. However, based on the fact that the wealth of the avifauna in Iran and in other parts of the Palearctic is similar (Clements 2000) we may assume that possible species diversity of acarofauna inhabiting bird nests in Iran is much higher than currently recorded.

These results indicate that the knowledge of parasitic acarofauna, both on birds, in their nests, and mammals in Iran is relatively poor. This in turn leads to a conclusion that there is a need to develop this type of acarological research in Iran.