Murine fur mites are commonly excluded in modern research animal programs, yet infestations continue to persist due to challenges in detection and control. Because all diagnostic methods and treatment options have limitations, programs must make many operational decisions when trying to eradicate these ectoparasites. The primary aim of this study was to assess various durations of treatment time with an ivermectin-compounded diet in eliminating Radfordia affinis in mice as determined by PCR testing and pelt examination. A shorter treatment duration would be highly advantageous as compared with the current regimen of 8 wk as it would minimize cost and time for animal management programs, impediments to research, and ivermectin drug effects on infested animals. Five experimental groups of R. affinis -positive mice received dietary ivermectin for 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 wk. A fur mite-negative, naïve mouse was added to each group every 8 wk to perpetuate the infestation and amplify any remaining populations of fur mites. At 16 wk after the respective treatment end, PCR testing was performed for all treated groups in conjunction with the positive control group (no treatment). Visual examination of pelts for mites and eggs via direct microscopy was also performed at each time point. All treated mice were free of R. affinis at 16 wk after the end of treatment as confirmed by both PCR testing and pelt examination. These findings indicate that a dietary ivermectin treatment duration of as little as 2 wk is effective in eliminating R. affinis, making successful eradication initiatives more achievable.

BACKGROUND: Bartonella quintana is a body louse-borne bacterium causing bacteremia and infective endocarditis. We aimed to describe B. quintana detection among arthropods and their hosts.
METHODS: We searched databases in PubMed Central/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science from January 1, 1915 (the year of B. quintana discovery) to January 1, 2024, to identify publications containing specific search terms relating to B. quintana detection among arthropods. Descriptive statistics and meta-analysis of pooled prevalence using random-effects models were performed for all arthropods and body and head lice.
RESULTS: Of 1265 records, 62 articles were included, describing 8839 body lice, 4962 head lice, and 1692 other arthropods, such as different species of fleas, bedbugs, mites, and ticks. Arthropods were collected from 37 countries, of which 28 had arthropods with B. quintana DNA. Among articles that reported B. quintana detection among individual arthropods, 1445 of 14,088 (0.1026, 95% CI [0.0976; 0.1077]) arthropods tested positive for B. quintana DNA, generating a random-effects model global prevalence of 0.0666 (95% CI [0.0426; 0.1026]). Fifty-six studies tested 8839 body lice, of which 1679 had B. quintana DNA (0.1899, 95% CI [0.1818; 0.1983]), generating a random-effects model pooled prevalence of 0.2312 (95% CI [0.1784; 0.2843]). Forty-two studies tested 4962 head lice, of which 390 head lice from 20 studies originating from 11 different countries had B. quintana DNA (0.0786, 95% CI [0.0713; 0.0864]). Eight studies detected B. quintana DNA exclusively on head lice. Five studies reported greater B. quintana detection on head lice than body lice; all originated from low-resource environments.
CONCLUSIONS: Bartonella quintana is a vector-borne bacterium with a global distribution, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations. Bartonella quintana DNA has been detected in many different arthropod species, though not all of these arthropods meet criteria to be considered vectors for B. quintana transmission. Body lice have long been known to transmit B. quintana. A limited number of studies suggest that head lice may also act as possible vectors for B. quintana in specific low-resource contexts.

Pinniped respiratory mites of the species Orthohalarachneattenuata have been recorded from various locations around the world but not from continental Argentina. In the present work, we document for the first time the presence of O.attenuata on Arctocephalusaustralis on the Argentine mainland. A total of 23 adult and 381 immature mites were collected from the nose and nasopharyngeal cavity during a necropsy. The mite ambulacrum is described in adults and larvae. This structure consists of a pretarsus, an extensible pulvillum, a pair of claws and paradactyli (pretarsus opercula). The ambulacral structures also have some peculiarities, such as the presence of longitudinal furrows in the claws, straight claws in legs II and III (as opposed to curved in legs I and IV), and the fin-shaped paradactyli. The morphology of the ambulacrum of this mite is interpreted as an adaptation for anchoring to different surfaces of the host, and the protective structures present in the larvae as an adaptation for the dispersal phase in the external environment.

The foliage of the small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) is characterised by the nerve axils being grown by non-glandular trichomes, which trait contributes to the enhanced retention of the particulate matter (PM). This fact may disturb the ecological service of T. cordata related to the structure of its leaves, which is to provide acarodomatia (micro-shelters) for the predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family. Phytoseiids are natural enemies of a variety of plant pests, widely applied in integrated pest management (IPM). Their occurrence is largely related to acarodomatia in which these mites hide, feed, reproduce, and develop. For the first time, the influence of PM deposition within spaces typically occupied by phytoseiids is investigated. Experimental populations of Euseius finlandicus were reared on T. cordata leaves in the progressive PM-pollution. The results showed that the values of life table parameters of the predator depended significantly on the level of PM deposition on leaves. Contrary to clean leaves from the control, the medium and high contamination intensities significantly reduced the daily (by 47% and 70%, respectively) and the total fecundity (by 62% and 77%, respectively) of females which, in turn, resulted in a decreased net reproductive rate (by 67% and 81%, respectively), intrinsic rate of increase (by 40% and 55%, respectively) and finite rate of increase (by 8% and 10%, respectively) of E. finlandicus. The pre-ovipositional period was prolonged, while the oviposition duration was shortened and the mites matured longer. In high pollution level the mortality of phytoseiids was boosted by 19% and some females were observed with pollutant lumps adhered to the idiosoma. Also, significant shares of juvenile forms (13%) and adult females (25%) made attempts to escape from highly contaminated experimental arenas. The implications of PM retention on the shelter vegetation are discussed in the context of IPM and ecological services.

As climate change continues to modify temperature and rainfall patterns, risks from pests and diseases may vary as shifting temperature and moisture conditions affect the life history, activity, and distribution of invertebrates and diseases. The potential consequences of changing climate on pest management strategies must be understood for control measures to adapt to new environmental conditions. The redlegged earth mite (RLEM; Halotydeus destructor [Tucker]) is a major economic pest that attacks pastures and grain crops across southern Australia and is typically controlled by pesticides. TIMERITE® is a management strategy that relies on estimating the optimal timing (the TIMERITE® date) for effective chemical control of RLEM populations in spring. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of control at the TIMERITE® date from 1990 to 2020 across southern Australia using a simulation approach that incorporates historical climatic data and field experimental data on life history, seasonal abundance, and population level pesticide responses. We demonstrate that moisture and temperature conditions affect the life history of RLEM and that changes in the past three decades have gradually diminished the efficacy of the TIMERITE® strategy. Furthermore, we show that by incorporating improved climatic data into predictions and shifting the timing of control to earlier in the year, control outcomes can be improved and are more stable across changing climates. This research emphasises the importance of accounting for dynamic environmental responses when developing and implementing pest management strategies to ensure their long-term effectiveness. Suggested modifications to estimating the TIMERITE® date will help farmers maintain RLEM control outcomes amidst increasingly variable climatic conditions.

Demodex mite proliferation is frequently involved in the pathogenesis of rosacea. The gold standard for Demodex identification is microscopic examination on a standardized skin surface biopsy. However, this method of sampling can be distressing and painful, especially when performed on hairy sites. In this case-control study, we compared the sensitivity of PCR and microscopic examination in diagnosing a Demodex infestation. Moreover, we investigated the possible correlations between the presence of Demodex mites and clinical characteristics. In total, 20 patients affected by papulopustular rosacea and 10 controls were included. At both microscopic examination and PCR, patients with rosacea presented a greater prevalence of positive samples than controls at the scalp and at the face. Microscopy had sensitivity of 50% at the face and of 46.7% at the scalp. PCR had sensitivity of 93.75% at the face and of 86.7% at the scalp. The positivity of PCR was associated to a higher frequency of facial papules and pustules. Patients with positivity at the face had a more frequent positivity at the scalp. The scalp could represent a reservoir for the Demodex mites, and should be investigated by sensitive and painless methods. PCR performed on painlessly collected samples should be further investigated.

The broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Tarsonemidae: Acari) is a highly polyphagous species that damage plant species spread across 57 different families. This pest has developed high levels of resistance to some commonly used acaricides. In the present investigation, we deciphered the genome information of P. latus by PacBio HiFi sequencing. P. latus is the third smallest arthropod genome sequenced so far with a size of 49.1 Mb. The entire genome was assembled into two contigs. A set of 9,286 protein-coding genes were annotated. Its compact genome size could be credited with multiple features such as very low repeat content (5.1%) due to the lack of proliferation of transposable elements, high gene density (189.1/Mb), more intronless genes (20.3%) and low microsatellite density (0.63%).

Cattle mange causes extreme itchiness, and the associated stress is an animal welfare concern that leads to economic losses due to decreased cattle productivity and deworming costs. This study investigated the reason why Chorioptic mites, C. bovis and C. texanus, preferentially infest the tail root region (rTR) and performed histological and biochemical analysis focusing on the volatile components of host odors that serve as the starting point for infestation of parasitic arthropods. Skin samples were taken from the rTR, lateral abdominal, and central masseteric, with the latter two designated as comparison sites. The two and three-dimensional histological analysis measured each sebaceous and sweat gland percentage per unit volume. The q-PCR analyzed the expression levels of ALDH1A1 and LOC785756, which are genes associated with volatile odoriferous compounds that serve as repellency and attractive messengers for ticks. Immunohistochemistry stained three sites with anti-androgen binding protein beta-like (ABPβ-like), encoded by LOC785756, antibody. The three-dimensional analysis showed that sebaceous glands in the rTR tend to be more continuous and existed in larger masses than in other regions. The expression level of LOC785756 was significantly higher in the rTR, and immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of ABPβ-like in the sebaceous gland with strong positive signals in the rTR. These results suggest that C. bovis/texanus selectively infests the rTR because that skin has well-developed sebaceous glands, including a large amount of ABPβ-like, which acts as a mite attractant.

Chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) has emerged as a severe invasive pest of strawberry Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne in the United States. The objective of this study was to assess the field efficacy of a biopesticide and thrips predator, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot for S. dorsalis management in field grown strawberry compared to synthetic insecticide applications that are current industry standard (spinetoram) conducted at UF/IFAS GCREC, FL during 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 in a 2-year field study. The following treatments were applied in the field: (1) biopesticide, capsicum oleoresin extract + garlic oil + canola oil application at maximum label rate; (2) predatory mite of thrips, A. swirskii released at 30 predators per plot; (3) spinetoram applied at maximum label rate; and (4) biopesticide applied 24 h before release of A. swirskii. A control plot with no insecticide or predatory mite releases was maintained. Results show that the capsicum extract can be used for management of S. dorsalis, especially during the latter stages of strawberry field season when resistance to spinetoram is high. The field performance of A. swirskii was variable and extensive research is needed to highlight factors affecting field performance of predatory mites for thrips management.

The adoption of the European Green Deal will limit acaricide use in high value crops like raspberry, to be replaced by biological control and other alternative strategies. More basic knowledge on mites in such crops is then necessary, like species, density, and their role as vectors of plant diseases. This study had four aims, focusing on raspberry leaves at northern altitude: (1) identify mite species; (2) study mite population densities; (3) investigate mite intra-plant distribution; (4) investigate co-occurrence of phytophagous mites, raspberry leaf blotch disorder and raspberry leaf blotch virus (RLBV). Four sites in south-eastern Norway were sampled five times. Floricanes from different parts of the sites were collected, taking one leaf from each of the upper, middle, and bottom zones of the cane. Mites were extracted with a washing technique and processed for species identification and RLBV detection. Mites and leaves were tested for RLBV by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with virus-specific primers. Phytophagous mites, Phyllocoptes gracilis, Tetranychus urticae, and Neotetranychus rubi, and predatory mites, Anystis baccarum and Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri were identified. All phytophagous mites in cultivated raspberry preferred the upper zone of floricanes, while in non-cultivated raspberry, they preferred the middle zone. The presence of phytophagous mites did not lead to raspberry leaf blotch disorder during this study. RLBV was detected in 1.3% of the sampled plants, none of them with leaf blotch symptoms, and in 4.3% of P. gracilis samples, and in some spider mite samples, implying that Tetranychids could also be vectors of RLBV.