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Ecological analysis of gamasid mites on the body surface of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Yunnan Province, Southwest China

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Abstract

The Norway rat, Ratttus norvegicus, is a common agricultural pest and an important reservoir host of many zoonoses. A long-term field investigation on gamasid mites was made in 39 counties of Yunnan province, southwest China from 1990 to 2015. A total of 1448 Norway rats were captured, and 10,034 individuals of gamasid mites were collected from the body surface of the rats, which were identified as 42 species and 16 genera under 6 families. Based on some strategies of “data mining”, the present paper took advantage of the long-term accumulated original data and made an ecological analysis of gamasid mites on the Norway rat. The results showed that the infestation of gamasid mites on 1448 Norway rats was common with an overall prevalence (48.55%), mean abundance (6.93) and mean intensity (14.27). Of 42 species of gamasid mites, Laelaps nuttalli, Laelaps echidninus and Ornithonyssus bacoti were three dominant species, and they showed an aggregated distribution among different individuals of their rat host, R. norvegicus. There were much more species (39 species) of gamasid mites on the outdoor rats with a higher prevalence (65.12%), mean abundance (10.24) and mean intensity (15.72) than on the indoor rats (p < 0.001). The Norway rats in the lower altitude gradients showed a higher infestation prevalence and intensity of the mites, but lower species diversity. The adult rats had higher infestations (prevalence, mean abundance and mean intensity) of the mites than the juvenile rats. Most gamasid mites showed a predominantly male-biased sex ratio on Norway rats. The association coefficient was used to analyze the interspecific relationship between any two dominant mite species, and a positive association was found between L. nuttalli and L. echidninus. The curve tendency of species-sample relationship showed that the numbers of mite species still kept increasing without an eventual “platform” stage when the sampled rats reached 1200 individuals, and this implies a great heterogeneity of the mite community on the rat. Preston’s lognormal distribution model successfully fitted the theoretical curve of species abundance distribution of gamasid mites on R. norvegicus, which illustrated the distribution of the dominant, common and rare species of the mites.

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Acknowledgments

Up till now more than 60 people have joined this study, including field investigation, collection of gamasid mites and other ectoparasites, specimen making and identification of the mites. Here we’d like to express our sincere thanks to following people who have made special contributions to the field investigation and laboratory work: Qiao-Hua Wang, Yong Zhang, Cong-Hua Gao, Nan Zhao, Jian-Chang He, Guo-Li Li, Yan-Liu Li, Xue-Song He, Yun-Ji Zou, De-Cai Ouyang, Shuang-Lin Wang, some colleagues and college students. The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81672055) to Xian-Guo Guo, the Academician Workstation for Academician Jian-Guo Xu and the Innovation Team of Vector Biology, Dali University (No. ZKLX2019104).

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  1. Vector Laboratory, Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Entomological Biopharmaceutical Research and Development, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, 671000, Yunnan Province, China

    Liu Zhe, Guo Xian-Guo, Fan Rong, Zhao Cheng-Fu, Mao Ke-Yu, Zhang Zhi-Wei & Zhao Yue

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Correspondence to Guo Xian-Guo.

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The sampling of the Norway rats was officially permitted by the local authority of wildlife service in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The use of animals (Norway rats) for research was also officially approved at the Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Dali University.

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Liu, Z., Guo, XG., Fan, R. et al. Ecological analysis of gamasid mites on the body surface of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Biologia 75, 1325–1336 (2020). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00383-z

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