Acari, Laelapidae (ectoparasitic mites), central and southern Chile

Abstract

Laelapidae mites include ectoparasites of small mammals. The fauna of mites of many Neotropical areas is still understudied, and such is the case of Chile. We report the results of a survey carried out in central and southern Chile: Acanthochela chilensis Ewing 1933 is reported from Dromiciops gliroides Thomas 1894; Lukoschus maresi Radovsky and Gettinger 1999 from Abrothrix olivaceus (Waterhouse 1837); Laelaps echidninus Berlese 1887 from Rattus rattus (Linnaeus 1758) and R. norvergicus (Berkenhout 1769); and Gigantolaelaps wolffsohni (Oudemans 1910) and Mysolaelaps microspinosus Fonseca 1936 from Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Bennett 1832). The association of Abrothrix sanborni Osgood 1943 with G. wolffsohni and M. microspinosus was accidental, since these mites are common ectoparasites of oryzomine rodents (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae). Laelaps maresi, L. echidninus and M. microspinosus are reported for the first time for Chile. The results of this study increase the number of ectoparasitic laelapid mites known from Chile to five species.