Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites and cause a major public health threat worldwide. Development of anti-tick vaccines is regarded to be an optimal alternative for tick control. AV422, a unique protein in ticks, is secreted into hosts during blood-feeding, but its roles are not confirmed in Haemaphysalis flava ticks. We retrieved a gene fragment encoding AV422 from a transcriptome dataset of H.

Euseius sojaensis (Ehara) is an effective indigenous natural enemy of some eriophyid mites and spider mites in Japan. However, pesticides that are toxic to it are frequently applied in commercial Japanese pear orchards until early summer, when the predator densities are at their peak. Here, we examined the suppressive effect of inoculative release of E. sojaensis on Eriophyes chibaensis Kadono and

Ticks may carry several pathogens as vectors and their pathogen load may vary due to differences in geography, climate and vegetation. In this study, we collected ticks from 39 districts of Istanbul (Turkey) between May and October, from 2013 to 2017, and identified them under stereo-microscope. In addition, we investigated the pathogens that the ticks carry (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma

Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a major pest species in numerous crops including hop (Humulus lupulus L.). Substantial T. urticae infestation was observed to occur in this recently introduced crop in Brazil. The adoption of less suitable cultivars to the pest species is highly desirable for integrated pest management. We used free-choice trials and two-sex life table analysis to

Hyalomma marginatum Koch is one of the main tick vectors of human and animal tick-borne diseases. The objective of this study was to establish standard procedures for rearing H. marginatum under laboratory conditions. Such laboratory tick populations are required to study acaricide resistance of Hyalomma ticks. In our rearing program, larvae and nymphs were fed on New Zealand white rabbits, whereas

The fruiting bodies of bracket fungi are a specific microhabitat colonized by various invertebrates of which mites (Acari) are rarely studied, and if they are, the study is usually faunistic. The aim of the research was to determine whether the diversification of mite assemblages (Mesostigmata, Oribatida) inhabiting the fruiting bodies of Fomitopsis pinicola (Sw.) P. Karst. (Polyporales) are connected

Dermanyssus gallinae (poultry red mite, PRM) is a main ectoparasite of poultry that represents a serious economic threat to all farming systems, including cages and backyard flocks. In recent years, economic losses associated with this ectoparasite have progressively increased, mainly because of the lack of information regarding its population dynamics and appropriate control methods. In this study

Until now, very little is known about the ability of adult and deutonymph water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) to survive in sub-zero temperatures. Information concerns mainly water mites from vernal astatic waters, and the knowledge has never been experimentally verified. To determine the sensitivity of water mites to freezing, experiments were conducted on (1) the impact of acclimatization, (2) temperature

Smartphone cameras and digital devices are increasingly used in the capture of tick images by the public as citizen scientists, and rapid advances in deep learning and computer vision has enabled brand new image recognition models to be trained. However, there is currently no web-based or mobile application that supports automated classification of tick images. The purpose of this study was to compare

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has recently emerged as an alternative to morphological and molecular tools to identify tick species. In this study, we set out to evaluate and confirm the ability of MALDI-TOF MS to identify different species of ticks collected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and preserved in 70% ethanol. A total of 575 ticks, of

We herein describe zebuine cattle tick infestation in a farm in southeast Brazil with an examination accurate enough to detect tick immatures and species other than R. microplus. Cattle were inspected monthly for ticks from May 2015 to May 2017 and 7604 ticks were collected along 276 bovine inspections. Rhipicephalus microplus was the dominant species (7197 specimens, 94.5% from the total), but Amblyomma

Inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs) are regulators of cell death and may play a role in the salivary glands of ticks during blood-feeding. We cloned the open reading frame (ORF) sequence of the IAP gene in Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides (RhIAP). The RhIAP ORF of 1887 bp encodes a predicted protein of 607 amino acids, which contains three baculovirus IAP repeat domains and a RING finger motif. A real-time

Sex dimorphism is ubiquitous in the animal kingdom and can be influenced by environmental factors. However, relatively little is known about how the degree and direction of sex difference vary with environmental factors, including food quality and temperature. With the spider mites from the family Tetranychidae as subjects, the sex difference of life-history traits in responses to host plant and temperature

Assessing the risk of tick-borne disease in areas with high visitor numbers is important from a public health perspective. Evidence suggests that tick presence, density, infection prevalence and the density of infected ticks can vary between habitats within urban green space, suggesting that the risk of Lyme borreliosis transmission can also vary. This study assessed nymph density, Borrelia prevalence

Ixodes ricinus is the most abundant tick species and an important vector of pathogens in Germany and in large parts of Europe. A few other ixodid tick species, e.g., Dermacentor reticulatus, may also be of eco-epidemiological relevance. As ticks are not only found in natural but also in suburban areas (parks, gardens), the present study investigated whether ticks occur on and near football grounds

In total, 57 ticks were collected from six white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and three mule deer (O. hemionus) in northern Mexico during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 hunting seasons. Morphological features of adult male and female ticks were observed and photographed using a stereo-microscope and scanning electron micrography. The ticks were identified as Dermacentor albipictus based on taxonomic

Populations of Schizotetranychus brevisetosus Ehara (Acari: Tetranychidae), which live on the evergreen oak (Quercus glauca), survive the coldest months as either adult females or winter eggs. Adult females comprise the majority of the population in early November and oviposit from late November to early March. Most winter eggs hatch by late March, and adults of the next generation emerge in April

Citrus leprosis is a viral disease vectored by the mites Brevipalpus californicus and Brevipalpus yothersi. This work aimed to determine the potential areas for establishment of both mites and viruses in Mexico, based on the geographical distribution of the hosts and the climatic suitability for the vectors. Life tables of both mites were constructed to determine their thermal requirements—base temperature

Brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, an important ectoparasite transmitting several pathogens, is the most common tick species infesting dogs. Control of ticks being central to the control of fatal tick-borne diseases, this study attempted to assess the susceptibility/resistance of brown dog ticks to synthetic pyrethroids, the commonly used acaricides against ticks. Larval packet assay

Cheliceral chelal design in free-living astigmatid mites (Arthropoda: Acari) is reviewed within a mechanical model. Trophic access (body size and cheliceral reach) and food morsel handling (chelal gape and estimated static adductive crushing force) are morphologically investigated. Forty-seven commonly occurring astigmatid mite species from 20 genera (covering the Acaridae, Aeroglyphidae, Carpoglyphidae

Varroa destructor is the most common ectoparasite of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) worldwide and poses a serious threat to bee health. Synthetic acaricides, particularly pyrethroids, are frequently used to control Varroa mites. However, long-term and repeated use of synthetic pyrethroids has led to the development of resistance. In this study, we report on the presence of resistance mutations

Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), twospotted spider mite, is a major secondary pest of strawberry and can cause significant yield loss. Tetranychus urticae is typically controlled using miticides, which has led to rapid resistance development. In South Carolina (USA), extension agents and growers have reported field failures of miticides (inadequate pest suppression), but resistance

Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank), commonly known as the cereal mite, cheese mite, or ham mite, is a cosmopolitan species reported from various environments in the wild, including soil, plant material and vertebrate nests. It has also been recognized as a common pest of food storages, mycological collections as well as plant and invertebrate laboratory cultures. Laboratory observations indicate that

Bird and mammal nests provide microhabitats that support a range of other species, including invertebrates. However, the variation between communities of nest-dwelling invertebrates in different nests is poorly understood. The major aim of this study was to analyze the assemblage structure of mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) and from superfamily Crotonioidea (Acari: Oribatida)

An updated and increased compilation of georeferenced tick locations in Germany is presented here. This data collection extends the dataset published some years ago by another 1448 new tick locations, 900 locations of which were digitized from literature and 548 locations are published here for the first time. This means that a total of 3492 georeferenced tick locations is now available for Germany

Biopesticides such as essential oils (EOs) are considered an improvement for integrated pest control as they appear to be less toxic to the environment than chemical acaricides. The current study aimed to evaluate the acaricidal activity of Artemisia herba-alba and Melia azedarach oil loaded nano-emulsion as alternatives for chemical acaricides against the camel tick Hyalomma dromedarii, besides evaluating

A model based upon mechanics is used in a re-analysis of historical acarine morphological work augmented by an extra seven zoophagous mesostigmatid species. This review shows that predatory mesostigmatids do have cheliceral designs with clear rational purposes. Almost invariably within an overall body size class, the switch in predatory style from a worm-like prey feeding (‘crushing/mashing’ kill)

The non-target toxicity and resistance problems of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) insecticides, such as organophosphates and carbamates, are of growing concern. To explore the potential targets for achieving inhibitor selectivity, the AChE structures at or near the catalytic pocket of Tetranychus urticae (TuAChE), honey bees, and humans were compared. The entrances to the AChE catalytic pocket differ

Ticks will diminish productivity among farm animals and transmit zoonotic diseases. We conducted a study to identify tick species infesting slaughter bulls from Adama City and to screen them for tick-borne pathogens. In 2016, 291 ticks were collected from 37 bulls in Adama, which were ready for slaughter. Ticks were identified morphologically. Total genomic DNA was extracted from ticks and used to

The phytoseiid Proprioseiopsis mexicanus has been collected from a wide range of plants in the western hemisphere, including many cucurbit agroecosystems in South Carolina, USA. Our aim was to characterize the lifestyle of P. mexicanus and its potential as a natural enemy of Tetranychus urticae, a common pest in cucurbits. We determined developmental time, pre-oviposition time, and fecundity of females

Birds are important hosts in the maintenance and spread of ticks worldwide, including several species of Amblyomma which harbor rickettsial agents as members of the spotted fever group (SFG). The current survey shows the diversity of tick and rickettsial agents infecting ticks on wild birds from an Atlantic rainforest in the state of Bahia, Brazil. A total of 365 birds were captured, representing two

Gynaeseius liturivorus (Ehara) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is a promising biological control agent for tiny arthropod pests, including Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) known as a major pest of Welsh onion. In fields during summer, G. liturivorus is observed on soybean, but not on Welsh onion, even when numerous T. tabaci are present. To elucidate G. liturivorus’s occurrence on soybean and

Amblyomma sculptum is a common human-biting tick in Brazil, where it plays an important role as a vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of the Brazilian spotted fever. Herein, we studied the seasonal dynamics of A. sculptum in an urban area of the Cerrado biome in midwestern Brazil, where human rickettsiosis is endemic. Ticks were collected in two sites located within the campus of Federal University

The frequent use of acaricides against the tick Rhipicephalus microplus increases the risk of development of resistance. Recent studies have revealed that Neoglaziovia variegata, an indigenous plant species known in Brazil as ‘caroá’, has a deleterious effect against R. microplus. In the current study, extracts of N. variegata were studied for their possible acaricidal properties. A hexane extract

Orientia tsutsugamushi is the causative agent of scrub typhus vectored by larval stages of trombiculid mites (chiggers) that occur in most tropical regions of Southeast Asia. A total of 242 chiggers extracted from eight small mammals captured from a positive scrub typhus locality in Kelantan, Malaysia, were screened for the presence of O. tsutsugamushi. The chiggers were grouped in 16 pools for extraction

Oribatid mites are important decomposers of dead organic matter in soils across the world. Their origin dates back at least 380 Mya. Multiple severe climatic changes during Late Pliocene and Pleistocene shaped the migration patterns of these organisms and should be reflected in the genetic variability of their current populations. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity and phylogeographic

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-021-00614-6

The necessity of monitoring changes occurring in soil compels us to look for new methods that will allow easy and precise evaluation of the soil quality in a given area. One proposed method is the maturity index (MI) – an index that is based on the distribution of species along the r-to-K continuum in examined populations. In this study, mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) were

From May to November 2013, ticks were collected from wild and domestic hosts that were sampled by convenience in different localities of El Salvador. Among 48 localities, in total 1181 ticks were collected from 200 vertebrate animals, comprising 13 species of wild hosts (amphibian, reptiles, mammals) and five species of domestic mammals, plus four samples from humans and four samples from the environment

Rondônia is the only state in the North Region of Brazil to have registered confirmed cases of Brazilian Spotted Fever (BSF). The present study investigated the epidemiological cycle of Rickettsia spp. by surveying free-living ixodofauna and tick parasitism of dogs in the municipality of Porto Velho, Rondônia State. Ticks and dogs were tested for the presence of Rickettsia spp. DNA and dog serum was

The green synthesized nanoparticles have been determined as a novel pesticide against arthropod pests. This study was designed to evaluate the in vitro acaricidal activity of green synthesized nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) using aqueous extract of Melia azedarach ripened fruits against different developmental stages of the camel tick Hyalomma dromedarii in addition to their toxic effect on laboratory

Ticks are obligate blood-sucking parasitic arthropods. When sucking the blood of hosts, they can also transmit a variety of pathogens to hosts that severely endanger the health of humans and animals. The spermatheca is an organ for the storage and protection of sperm and an important component of the reproductive system of female ticks. The spermatheca content changes dramatically over time after copulation

The ectoparasite Varroa (Acari: Varroidae) is considered to be the main pest of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in Nicaragua. The aim of this study was to determine morphotypes and mitochondrial haplotypes of the Varroa mites, related to infestation levels in A. mellifera hives in Nicaragua in a cross-sectional study (2013–2016). Samples were taken from 34 sentinel apiaries in five geographical zones;

The present report describes morphological anomalies in Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.s. collected from dogs between February 2017 and May 2019 in the steppic region of Djelfa and high plateau area of Bordj-Bou-Arreridj in Algeria. Out of 1043 ticks from 147 infested dogs, four adult ticks (0.38%), collected from four dogs, exhibited local morphological abnormalities. One male displayed ectromely of leg

Quantifying basic biological data, such as the effects of variable temperatures on development and survival, is crucial to predicting and monitoring population growth rates of pest species, many of which are highly invasive. One of the most globally important pests of cereals is the eriophyoid wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella, which is the primary vector of several plant viruses. The aim of

Hedgehogs (e.g., Erinaceus europaeus, E. roumanicus) are wild mammals that frequently are observed near residential areas. The aim of this study was to investigate ticks and fleas collected from European hedgehogs in Portugal and to evaluate the prevalence of Rickettsia in those ectoparasites. Ticks and fleas were identified by morphological and molecular methods, and molecular detection by PCR and

Mountain scree habitats are intermediate habitats between the base of the soil and the bedrock. They are composed of a network of small cracks and voids, and are commonly situated at the lower levels of scree slopes. Their environment is defined by empty spaces inside the scree, the absence of light and photoperiod, low temperature, and resource poor conditions. Soil arthropod communities, their trophic

In many areas of Africa, recent studies highlighted the great impact of ticks on animal and human health throughout the continent. On the other hand, very limited information on the bacterial endosymbionts of the African ticks and their pattern of co-infections with other bacteria are found in literature, notwithstanding their pivotal role in tick survival and vector efficiency. Thus, we investigated

The indiscriminate use of acaricides is a problem worldwide and has increased the selection of acaricide-resistant tick populations. The goal of this study was to evaluate the acaricide effects of two essential oils (from Schinus molle and Bulnesia sarmientoi) using the larval immersion test on three Rhipicephalus tick species. Rhipicephalus evertsi, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus pulchelus

Theileria annulata is the cause of tropical theileriosis in cattle in Pakistan, where it has a significant impact on the cattle industry. Here we report the molecular detection and seasonal prevalence and blood parameters of T. annulata infection in crossbred, Holstein Frisian and Sahiwal breed in Layyah District in the Punjab. In total, 844 blood samples (cross = 244, Holstein Frisian = 300, Sahiwal

Tick infestations and tick-borne diseases are among the leading causes of economic losses in the cattle industry worldwide. Amitraz is one of the most commonly used chemical acaricides against the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Resistance to amitraz has been reported in many countries but not in the Philippines. This study aimed to determine whether cattle ticks from provinces in

Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), popularly known as ‘brown dog tick’, is the primary vector of pathogens affecting dogs worldwide. To enter the host’s organism, these pathogens utilise the anticoagulant, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions of compounds present in the tick’s saliva; such compounds are released by the ectoparasite in order to attach and feed on dogs

Phytoseiid predatory mites are the most important group of biocontrol agents currently used in protected cultivations worldwide. The possibility to produce these predators at high densities on factitious prey mites is a crucial factor for their success. Commonly used factitious prey mites comprise mainly species belonging to the cohort of Astigmatina. In the present study, we investigated the potential

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the acaricidal activity of Senecio cannabifolius essential oil, and two of its constituents, eucalyptol and camphor. Efficacy against females and larvae of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was assessed by the adult immersion test (AIT) and the larval immersion test (LIT). The oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID)

Since the 1980s Tetranychus urticae Koch has dominated Australian cotton due to its ability to develop resistance. Here we give screening data for a range of chemicals tested against T. urticae including abamectin, bifenthrin, diafenthiuron, etoxazole and propargite and speculate why abamectin resistance emerged without warning. Abamectin resistance was not detected in T. urticae in Australian cotton

Intensive land use has been shown to alter the composition and functioning of soil communities. Due to their low dispersal ability, oribatid mites are particularly vulnerable to land-use intensification and species which are not adjusted to management-related disturbances become less abundant. We investigated how different land-use parameters in forests and grasslands affect oribatid mite diversity

The ability to disperse is one of the most important factors influencing the biogeography of species and speciation processes. Highly mobile species have been shown to lack geographic population structures, whereas less mobile species show genetically strongly subdivided populations which are expected to also display at least subtle phenotypic differences. Geometric morphometric methods (GMM) were

The structures of arthropod bacterial communities are complex. These microbiotas usually provide many beneficial services to their hosts, whereas occasionally they may be parasitical. To date, little is known about the bacterial communities of Tetranychus truncatus and the factors contributing to the structure of its bacterial communities are unexplored yet. Here, we used four symbiont-infected T.

The generalist predator Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot) and the Tetranychidae-specialist predators Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) and Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot play a key role in the regulation of Tetranychus urticae Koch in Spanish citrus orchards. Previous studies have shown that sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) and Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reshni hort. ex Tan.) display extreme

Defensins are the most diverse groups of antimicrobial peptides in invertebrate animals. In ticks, defensins show great potential as targets for tick control, and display future prospect for therapeutic drug development. In the present study, a novel defensin-like gene (Ds-defensin) contributing to the antimicrobial and antioxidant capacity of the tick Dermacentor silvarum was characterized. The full-length