Additions to the chigger mite fauna (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) of Saudi Arabia, with the description of a new species

Abstract

Collections of chigger mites from murid rodents were performed in two bordering provinces of southwestern Saudi Arabia, Al Bahah and ‘Asir. A total of 561 chiggers belonging to 19 species were collected in 2020 and 2021 from 54 rodents of two species, Acomys dimidiatus (Cretzchmar) and Mus musculus L. One new species is described: Odontacarus thesigeri n. sp. Five species are recorded in Saudi Arabia for the first time: Microtrombicula abyssinica (Radford, 1947), Microtrombicula felis (Vercammen-Grandjean, 1965), Microtrombicula saperoi (Radford, 1954), Schoengastiella hypoderma Vercammen-Grandjean, 1956, and Schoutedenichia originalis Kudryashova, 1976. Among them, M. abyssinica and M. saperoi, are re-described based on type specimens and new materials.