Gamasine mite (Parasitiformes, Mesostigmata) infestations of bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in Turkey

Abstract

The present study was conducted on bats from different locations in Turkey. Of 33 bats, belonging to 10 species, 10 individuals (30.3%) of four species were infected with gamasine mites. Fifty-three mites belonging to 2 families (Spinturnicidae and Macronyssidae) were collected. The spinturnicid Spinturnix myoti (Kolenati) was the most abundant species (27 specimens) and only recorded on Myotis nattereri (Kuhl). The species Steatonyssus periblepharus (Kolenati) and the genera Steatonyssus, Macronyssus and Ancystropus are reported from Turkey for the first time, while new host and distributional data are presented. © 2007 W. Stefanski Institute of Parasitology, PAS.