title: Prevalence, mean intensity of infestation and host specificity of Spinturnicidae mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) on bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Pantanal, Brazil.
abstract: Acari ectoparasites were collected from bats during 12 months in the Rio Negro farm (19°34'22″S and 56°14'36″W), Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul. A total of 654 bats belonging to the families Phyllostomidae, Noctilionidae, Molossidae, Vespertilionidae and Emballonuridae were captured. Only 136 bats of nine genera and 11 species were parasitised. Periglischrus iheringi Oudemans was the most abundant mite species, and this prevalence may be related to the low degree of host specificity of this species and due to the broad geographical distribution of its hosts. The greatest mean intensity was found to Periglischrus torrealbai Machado-Allison on Phyllostomus discolor Wagner (Phyllostomidae) and Periglischrus tonatii Herrin and Tipton associated with Lophostoma silviculum d'Orbigny (Phyllostomidae), which also had the highest prevalence of infestation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Caixa Postal 459, 79070-900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil. camila_bio@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Camila de Lima
authors.initials: Cde L
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Graciolli
mesh_terms: D000053:Acari / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D058507:Host Specificity; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008925:Mites / Q000502:physiology; D015995:Prevalence