Dermanyssus gallinae ( De Geer, 1778 )

Mašán, Peter, Fenďa, Peter, Krištofík, Ján & Halliday, Bruce, 2014, A review of the ectoparasitic mites (Acari: Dermanyssoidea) associated with birds and their nests in Slovakia, with notes on identification of some species, Zootaxa 3893 (1), pp. 77-100 : 82

Dermanyssus gallinae ( De Geer, 1778)

Acarus gallinae De Geer, 1778: 111 .

Dermanyssus avium Dugès, 1834: 18 . Synonymy by Oudemans (1936).

Dermanyssus evotomydis Ewing, 1933: 11 . Synonymy by Evans & Till (1962).

Dermanyssus gallinae .— Evans & Till, 1962: 283; 1966: 350; Moss, 1968: 78; 1978: 634.

Taxonomic remarks. This species may be distinguished from other species of Dermanyssus in Slovakia by the presence of four pairs of J-setae on the opisthonotal portion of the dorsal shield, and peritremes that are not strongly reduced in length.

Occurrence and habitat. Dermanyssus gallinae is of the greatest economic and veterinary importance among the studied species because it occurs worldwide and is closely associated with domesticated birds. Based on published Slovak records, the most frequent infestation was found in the nests of Columba livia f. domestica (66.5% of all specimens, 85 mites per nest), Passer montanus (7.8%, 31 mites per nest) and Gallus gallus var. domesticus (5.9%, 93 mites per nest). Among the wild birds, D. gallinae is more frequently found in the nests of birds that are common in synanthropic and urban habitats, namely Anas platyrhynchos , Corvus frugilegus , Cygnus olor , Delichon urbicum , Falco tinnunculus , Hirundo rustica , Motacilla alba , Passer spp., Phoenicurus ochruros , and Turdus merula . A unusual finding was documented by Mrciak (1963) who observed this species on a dung beetle, Geotrupes stercorarius . It has been recorded at altitudes between 100 and 1,150 m a.s.l.

Host distribution. Bird nests: Acrocephalus arundinaceus ( Fenďa & Schniererová 2004, 2005), Anas platyrhynchos ( Fenďa & Schniererová 2005, new data), Asio otus , Aves sp. ( Dudich et al. 1940), Circus aeruginosus , Columba livia f. domestica ( Ambros et al. 1992, Cyprich et al. 1992, Janiga 1997, Fenďa & Kicková 2009, new data), Coracias garrulus , Corvus frugilegus , Cygnus olor , Delichon urbicum ( Ambros et al. 1992, new data), Falco tinnunculus ( Kaľavský et al. 2009, new data), Ficedula albicollis , Fringilla coelebs , Fulica atra ( Fenďa & Schniererová 2010, new data), Gallus gallus var. domesticus ( Mrciak & Rosický 1956: as Dermanyssus gallinarum De Geer, Mrciak 1963 , Fenďa & Mašán 2003, new data), Hirundo rustica ( Ambros et al. 1992) , Lanius collurio , Merops apiaster ( Krištofík et al. 1996) , Motacilla alba , Nannus troglodytes , Parus major ( Ambros et al. 1992, new data), Parus sp., Passer domesticus ( Krumpál et al. 2001) , Passer montanus ( Krumpál et al. 2001, Švaňa et al. 2006, Fenďa et al. 2011, new data), Phoenicurus ochruros , Remiz pendulinus ( Krištofík et al. 1993) , Riparia riparia ( Ambros et al. 1992, Mašán & Krištofík 1993, Fenďa 2008), Sturnus vulgaris ( Švaňa et al. 2006, new data), Sylvia atricapilla , Sylvia sp., Turdus merula , Turdus philomelos , Turdus sp. Combined nests: Dendrocopos sp. and Micromammalia sp., Parus major and Apodemus sp., Parus sp. and Apodemus sp. Mammals: Apodemus sp., Mus musculus ( Mrciak 1963) , Muscardinus avellanarius , Mustela putorius ( Mrciak 1963) , Rattus norvegicus ( Mrciak 1963) , on human. Other findings: on scarabaeid Geotrupes stercorarius ( Mrciak 1963) , soil detritus ( Kalúz & Žuffa 1986, Fenďa 2008).

Ficedula albicollis , Jynx torquilla Linnaeus , Periparus ater (Linnaeus) , Parus major , Phoenicurus phoenicurus , Sitta europaea —the host birds given for D. gallinae from the former Czechoslovakia by Zeman & Jurík (1981), are not included here due to lack of specific collection data.

New data. Borská Nížina Lowland: 3 ♀♀, 3 NN, 4 June 1992, Malé Leváre Village (canal), Cygnus olor ; 10 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 2 NN, 17 August 1992, Malé Leváre Village (floodplain forest), Nannus troglodytes ; 19 ♀♀, 28 ♂♂, 12 NN, 5 July 1994, Borský Mikuláš Village, Phoenicurus ochruros . Chvojnická Pahorkatina Hills: 9 ♀♀, 8 ♂♂, 14 NN, 9 April 1989, Skalica Town, Columba livia f. domestica. Malé Karpaty Mts.: 105 ♀♀, 36 ♂♂, 7 NN, 20 June 1989, Bratislava Capital , zoological garden, Parus major ; 2 ♀♀, 16 September 1989, Bratislava Capital , zoological garden, Passer montanus ; 1 ♀, 12 July 1990, Bratislava Capital , zoological garden, Turdus merula ; 5 ♀♀, 20 April 2005, Bratislava Capital , on human; 9 ♀♀, 8 ♂♂, 1 July 2009, Bratislava Capital, Karlova Ves Settlement , Falco tinnunculus . Oravská Vrchovina Highland: 3 ♀♀, 6 NN, 26 February 1987, Dolný Kubín Town, Parus major . Podunajská Rovina Lowland: 1 ♂, 15 January 1985, Svätý Jur Village, Šúr Nature Reserve, Ficedula albicollis ; 1 ♀, 5 NN, 5 December 1985, ibid., Muscardinus avellanarius ; 4 NN, 17 April 1986, ibid., Anas platyrhynchos ; 1 ♀, 5 April 1989, Pataš Village, Corvus frugilegus ; 9 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 1 N, 28 June 1989, Veľké Blahovo Village, Veľkoblahovské Rybníky Fishponds, Fulica atra ; 1 ♀, 3 August 1989, Dunajská Lužná Village (windbreak), Asio otus ; 63 ♀♀, 12 ♂♂, 1 N, 8 September 1989, Gabčíkovo Village, Delichon urbicum ; 2 ♀♀, 5 June 1990, Dobrohošť Village (floodplain forest), Sylvia atricapilla ; 11 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, 1 N, 5 June 1990, Gabčíkovo Village, Motacilla alba ; 1 N, 5 June 1990, Trstená Na Ostrove Village, Kráľovská Lúka Arm (floodplain forest), Turdus philomelos ; 1 ♀, 2 July 1990, Trstená Na Ostrove Village, Kráľovská Lúka Arm (floodplain forest), Fringilla coelebs ; 71 ♀♀, 19 ♂♂, 29 NN, 5 September 1990, Gabčíkovo Village, Delichon urbicum ; 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 5 NN, 10 September 1991, Veľké Blahovo Village, Veľkoblahovské Rybníky Fishponds, Circus aeruginosus ; 1 ♀, 7 NN, 25 November 1994, Dobrohošť Village, Dunajské Kriviny (floodplain forest), Sturnus vulgaris ; 1 ♀, ibid., Parus major + Apodemus sp.; 1 ♀, ibid., Apodemus sp.; 3 ♀♀, 4 December 1995, ibid., Parus major ; 1 ♀, ibid., Parus sp. + Apodemus sp.; 263 ♀♀, 169 ♂♂, 97 NN, ibid., Sturnus vulgaris ; 5 ♀♀, 13 ♂♂, 12 NN, ibid., Sylvia sp.; 2 ♂♂, ibid., Turdus sp.; 1 ♀, 27 February 2000, Rusovce Village, Sturnus vulgaris ; 10 ♀♀, 8 ♂♂, 14 NN, 20 April 2004, Dobrohošť Village, Gallus gallus var. domesticus ; 55 ♀♀, 14 ♂♂, 3 NN, 9 June 2007, 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 16 July 2007, Martovce Village, Coracias garrulus ; 6 ♀♀, 1 N, 12 August 2007, Vojka Nad Dunajom Village, Gallus gallus var. domesticus . Popradská Kotlina Basin: 1 ♀, 15 July 1994, Stará Lesná Village, Parus sp.; 22 ♀♀, 9 ♂♂, 3 NN, 15 March 1995, Stará Lesná Village, Aves sp. Slanské Vrchy Mts.: 1 ♀, 14 February 1989, Zemplínska Teplica Village, Krčmárka Forest, Parus major . Starohorské Vrchy Mts.: 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 3 NN, 17 September 1989, Staré Hory Village, Delichon urbicum . Veľká Fatra Mts.: 1 ♀, 2 NN, 25 February 1987, Ľubochňa Village, Ľubochnianska Dolina Valley, Dendrocopos sp. + Micromammalia sp. Veporské Vrchy Mts.: 1 ♀, 1 ♂, 6 July 1993, Hriňová Village, Pivnička Settlement, Lanius collurio . Zvolenská Kotlina Basin: 6 ♀♀, 6 July 1993, Kováčová Village (forest), Ficedula albicollis .