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Morphometric variation of Androlaelaps fahrenholzi (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) associated with three Sigmodontinae (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from the north of Chile

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Abstract

Androlaelaps fahrenholzi is a mite with a large distribution and associated with a wide range of hosts. To assess morphometric variation of A. fahrenholzi associated with different host species (Phyllotis xanthopygus and Akodon albiventer, both from Putre, Chile) and localities (Las Chinchillas National Reserve, Fray Jorge National Park, and Llanos de Challe National Park, all in Chile and all from the host Phyllotis darwini), 41 morphological characters of each specimen were measured, and principal component analysis and discriminant analysis were used. Both analyses showed two groups separated for species of rodents. Mites associated with P. xanthopygus are smaller than those of A. albiventer. The analysis by location indicates two groups: group 1 comprises all mites collected from Fray Jorge National Park and Las Chinchillas National Reserve, and group 2 comprises only mites from Llanos de Challe National Park. These results indicate that A. fahrenholzi population can vary between hosts and geographical areas. Molecular analysis would be necessary to validate these results and determine whether they are subspecies or different species.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FONDECYT), Project Nos. 1100695 and 1130945. We thank the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) and the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) for granting permits for collecting rodents. We thank the Electron Microscopy Laboratory of the University of Concepción, especially Mr. Hugo Pacheco † (RIP) for assistance in taking photographs in electron microscopy, and Karen Ardiles, Ivan Torres, Nicolás Fernández, Sebastián Muñoz, Fabián Beltrán, Daniela Doussang, Carolina Araya, Cecilia Figueroa, Danny Fuentes, Solomón Moyano, Pablo Olmedo, Gonzalo Torres, and Francisco González for their assistance in the sample collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción, Chile

    María Carolina Silva-de la Fuente, Lucila Moreno Salas & María Eugenia Casanueva

  2. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores, CEPAVE (CCT CONICET La Plata--UNLP), Bv. 120 e/ Av. 60 y Calle 64, 1900, La Plata, Argentina

    Marcela Lareschi

  3. Cátedra Zoología General, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

    Marcela Lareschi

  4. Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile

    María Carolina Silva-de la Fuente & Daniel González-Acuña

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  1. María Carolina Silva-de la Fuente
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  2. Lucila Moreno Salas
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  3. María Eugenia Casanueva
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  4. Marcela Lareschi
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  5. Daniel González-Acuña
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Correspondence to Lucila Moreno Salas.

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Silva-de la Fuente, M.C., Moreno Salas, L., Casanueva, M.E. et al. Morphometric variation of Androlaelaps fahrenholzi (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) associated with three Sigmodontinae (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from the north of Chile. Exp Appl Acarol 81, 135–148 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-020-00490-6

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