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Taxonomy, life cycles and the origin of parasitism in trombiculid mites

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Micromammals and Macroparasites

Concluding remarks

The ontogenetic threshold related to the large size difference between heteromorphic larva and post-larva has inevitably led to larval parasitism and regression of nymphal instars in trombiculid mites. It is most likely that mammals are primary hosts of trombiculid larvae, whereas the use of other terrestrial vertebrates as hosts arose later. An association with a host takes only a short time from the entire life cycle of a trombiculid mite; a mite spends the rest of its life as a free-living soil-dweller. As a result, host selection by a trombiculid larva is determined mainly by habitat distribution of a host rather than by its taxonomic affinity.

Partly supported by a grant N 03-04-49081 from the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research.

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  1. Andrey B. Shatrov
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biology and Management of Populations, Campus International de Baillarguet, CS 30016 34988, Montferrier-sur-Lez cedex, France

    Serge Morand Ph. D.

  2. Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boqer Campus, 84990, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel

    Boris R. Krasnov Ph. D.

  3. Ramon Science Center, P.O. Box 194, 80600, Mizpe Ramon, Israel

    Boris R. Krasnov Ph. D.

  4. Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand

    Robert Poulin Ph. D. (Professor) (Professor)

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Shatrov, A.B., Kudryashova, N.I. (2006). Taxonomy, life cycles and the origin of parasitism in trombiculid mites. In: Morand, S., Krasnov, B.R., Poulin, R. (eds) Micromammals and Macroparasites. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-36025-4_8

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