Neotropical Biology and Conservation 14(1): 109-116, doi: 10.3897/neotropical.14.e34840
Acari of lizards from Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil
expand article infoCamila Nascimento de Oliveira, Ikaro Henrique Mendes Pinto Campos§, Jaqueline Bianque de Oliveira|, Geraldo Jorge Barbosa de Moura
‡ Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil§ Laboratório de Animais Peçonhentos e Toxinas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil| Laboratório de Parasitologia, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil¶ Laboratório de Estudos Herpetológicos e Paleoherpetológicos, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
Open Access
Abstract

Although mites are often associated with reptiles, there is little information available about parasites of lizards in Brazil. The aim of this study was to identify the ectoparasites of the lizards Kentropyx calcarata (Squamata: Teiidae), Hemidactylus mabouia (Squamata: Gekkonidae) and Tropidurus hispidus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) from northeastern Brazil. The lizards were captured during the dry season at Mata de Tejipió, a fragment of Atlantic Forest, located in the municipality of Recife, state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. Eutrombicula sp. (Acari: Trombiculidae), Geckobia hemidactyli and Geckobiella harrisi (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) were found associated with adult lizards of K. calcarata, H. mabouia, and T. hispidus, respectively. Mites were found in skin folds of the throat and post femoral regions (Eutrombicula sp.), “mite-pockets” (G. harrisi); and in axillary, dorsal, ventral and pelvic regions (G. hemidactyli). In Brazil, this study widens the known geographical distribution of Geckobiella harrisi on T. hispidus and G. hemidactyli on H. mabouia. In addition, K. calcarata is recorded as a new host of Eutrombicula sp. These findings show the importance of ectoparasites as a tool for ecological and biogeographic studies.

Keywords
Eutrombicula, Geckobia hemidactyli, Geckobiella harrisi, mites, Squamata