Catalogue of fur-mites (Trombidiformes: Myobiidae) housed in the Acarological collection of the Butantan Institute (IBSP)

• Grant number: 21/08343-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2021
• End date: September 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius
• Grantee: Ana Carolina Blasco Onrubia
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Some groups of mites are parasites of wild mammals and are kept in captivity. The species of mites considered ectoparasites are those of medical and veterinary importance. In this context, the mites of the Myobiidae Mégnin family (Trombidiformes), popularly known as fur mites, are included. These mites feed on the lymph and tissues of their host, and their parasite specificity is well defined at different taxonomic levels within the order Mammalia; they are found associated with small marsupials and placental mammals of ten distinct orders. Usually, its presence is asymptomatic for the host, but animals in stress situations can present dermatitis, especially in those animals kept in captivity. More than 600 species are known worldwide, and for the national territory, only 15 species have been described, several of them known only by their typical series. Given the potential acarological diversity associated with mammals globally, the number of mammals we have in Brazil, and the scarcity of studies on acarofauna related to these mammals, this project aims to identify and catalog Myobiidae mites deposited in the Acarological Collection of the Butantan Institute (IBSP).(AU)