Published December 31, 2004 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Eutrombicula alfreddugesi Oudemans

Description

Eutrombicula alfreddugesi (Oudemans)

Charleston Co., Charleston Co., Magnolia Gardens, 15 September 1972, ex Eumeces laticeps, coll. R.R. Montanuccii; Mount Pleasant, 21 June 1994 and 28 September 1995, ex Neotoma floridana, coll. K.L. Clark; 28 September 1995, ex Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord, coll. K.L. Clark; Seabrooks Island, 11 August 1933, ex N. floridana, coll. H.E. Ewing; Richland Co., Fort Jackson, 19 April 1991, ex Sceloporus undulatus (Bosc & Daudin), coll. P. Ferral; Oconee Co., 3.5 M west of Clemson, 8 July 1983, ex Cnemidophorus sexlineatus (Linnaeus), coll. R.R. Montanuccii; unknown locations ex Baeolophus bicolo Linnaeus, Myiarchus crinitus Linnaeus, Poecile carolinensi s Audubon, Piranga rubra Linnaeus, Vireo olivaceus Linnaeus, coll. Wharton (Peters 1936).

Eutrombicula alfreddugesi is considered the most common chigger parasite of humans in the eastern and central United States (Mallow et al. 1984; Clopton & Gold 1993; Mullen & OConnor 2002). Eutrombicula alfreddugesi was once considered the only common chigger species in North America (Ewing 1923), but according to Loomis & Wrenn (1984) the taxonomy of Eutrombicula is poorly defined and specimens identified as E. alfreddugesi from the eastern southern United States represent a complex of species. Some populations have been referred to as Eutrombicula cinnabaris (Ewing) (Tuegel & Wrenn 1998; Durden et al. 2000). Reports of the biology and control of E. alfreddugesi (e.g., McAllister 1980; Clopton & Gold 1992; Zippel et al. 1996) probably involve numerous pest chiggers. Crossley & Proctor (1971) reported both E. alfreddugesi and Eutrombicula splendens (Ewing) from a variety of reptiles, birds, and mammals in Georgia. The bionomics of most postlarval chiggers are poorly understood, but Mallow et al. (1984) reported postlarval E. alfreddugesi from tree holes and soil where their eggs might be deposited.

Notes

Published as part of Reeves, Will K., Durden, Lance A. & Wrenn, William J., 2004, Ectoparasitic chiggers (Acari: Trombiculidae, Leeuwenhoekiidae), lice (Phthiraptera), and Hemiptera (Cimicidae and Reduviidae) from South Carolina, U. S. A., pp. 1-20 in Zootaxa 647 on page 4, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.158298

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Family
Trombiculidae
Genus
Eutrombicula
Kingdom
Animalia
Order
Prostigmata
Phylum
Arthropoda
Scientific name authorship
Oudemans
Species
alfreddugesi
Taxon rank
species

References

  • Peters, H. S. (1936) A list of external parasites from birds of the eastern part of the United States. Bird-Banding, 7, 9 - 27.
  • Mallow, D., Ludwig, D. F., Hayes, M. J., & Crossley, D. A., Jr. (1984) Habitat selection of postlarval Eutrombicula alfreddugesi and Eutrombicula splendens from eight microhabitats in Georgia, U. S. A. (Trombiculidae: Acarina). Journal of the Georgia Entomological Society, 19, 543 - 548.
  • Clopton, R. E. & Gold, R. E. (1993) Distribution and seasonal and diurnal activity patterns of Eutrombicula alfreddugesi (Acari: Trombiculidae) in a forest edge ecosystem. Journal of Medical Entomology, 30, 47 - 53.
  • Mullen, G. R. & OConnor, B. M. (2002) Mites (Acari) In: Mullen, G. and Durden, L. (Ed) Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Academic Press, Amsterdam. pp. 449 - 516.
  • Ewing, H. E. (1923) Our only common North American chigger, its distribution and nomenclature. Journal of Agricultural Research, 26, 401 - 403.
  • Loomis, R. B. & Wrenn, W. J. (1984) Systematics of the pest chigger genus Eutrombicula (Acari: Trombiculidae). In: Griffiths, D. A. and Bowman, C. E. (Ed) Acarology VI, Vol. I. Ellis Horwood Ltd. pp. 152 - 159.
  • Tuegel, M. A. & Wrenn, W. J. 1998. Sexual dimorphism in morphology and development of the pest chigger, Eutrombicula cinnabaris (Acari: Trombiculidae). International Journal of Acarology, 24, 199 - 211.
  • Durden, L. A., Hu, R., Oliver, J. H., Jr., & Cilek, J. E. (2000). Rodent ectoparasites from two locations in northwestern Florida. Journal of Vector Ecology, 25, 222 - 228.
  • McAllister, C. T. (1980) Observations on the incidence of chiggers, Eutrombicula alfreddugesi (Oudemans) on Crotaphytus (Sauria: Iguanidae) in Izard county, Arkansas. Arkansas Academy of Science Proceedings, 34, 125.
  • Clopton, R. E. & Gold, R. E. (1992) Bite-count evaluation of the repellency of N, N-diethyl- 3 - methylbenzamide to larval Eutrombicula alfreddugesi (Acari: Trombiculidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 29, 858 - 863.
  • Zippel, K. C., Powell, R., Parmerlee, J. S., Jr., Monks, S., Lathrop, A., & Smith, D. D. (1996) The distribution of larval Eutrombicula alfreddugesi (Acari: Trombiculidae) infesting Anolis lizards (Lacertila: Polychrotidae) from different habitats on Hispaniola. Caribbean Journal of Science, 32, 43 - 49.
  • Crossley, D. A., Jr. & Proctor, C. W., Jr. (1971) New records of chigger species (Acarina: Trombiculidae) in Georgia. Journal of the Georgia Entomological Society, 6, 184 - 187.