Contribution to the taxonomy of human-infesting chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) in Europe

Authors

  • Alexandr A. Stekolnikov Laboratory of Parasitic Arthropods, Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
  • Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu Parasitology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.26.9.2

Keywords:

chigger mites, Switzerland, North Africa, trombiculiasis

Abstract

Three species of chigger mites, which are supposed to be agents of human trombiculiasis in Europe, have been studied based on museum collections and specimens collected by the authors. Trombicula toldti Winkler, 1953 has been transferred to the monotypic genus Blanciella Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960. The type species of this genus, Blanciella deschiensi (Vercammen-Grandjean, 1956), was synonymized with Blanciella toldti comb. nov., and B. toldti was re-described. Lectotype of B. toldti was designated based on the type material donated to Zoological Institute RAS (St. Petersburg, Russia). The lectotype of Kepkatrombicula desaleri (Methlagl, 1928) was found in Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France), and the previously designated neotype of K. desaleri has been set aside. Both B. toldti and K. desaleri have been recorded for the first time in Switzerland infesting goats (Capra hircus L., 1758). Human parasitism by Neotrombicula inopinata (Oudemans, 1909) in the UK has been confirmed for the first time with an examined museum specimen.

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Author Biographies

Alexandr A. Stekolnikov, Laboratory of Parasitic Arthropods, Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Laboratory of Parasitic Arthropods, leading researcher

Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu, Parasitology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

Parasitology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Professor

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2021-08-18

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