Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 52, No. 3, 2007, 247–249. DOI: 10.2478/s11686-007-0038-8 Hatice Cicek (1)*, Maria K. Stanyukovich (2), Sukran Yagci (3), Metin Aktas (4) and Zafer Karaer (3) –
Gamasine mite (Parasitiformes, Mesostigmata) infestations of bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in Turkey
(1) Department of Parasitology, Kocatepe University, 03200, Afyon;
(2) Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Embankment 1, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia;
(3) Department of Parasitology, Ankara University, 06110, Ankara;
(4) Department of Biology, Art and Science Faculty, Gazi University, 06510, Ankara; Turkey
*Corresponding author: hcicek@aku.edu.tr
ABSTRACT
The present study was conducted on bats from different locations in Turkey. Of 33 bats, belonging to 10 species, 10 individuals
(30.3%) of four species were infected with gamasine mites. Fifty-three mites belonging to 2 families (Spinturnicidae and
Macronyssidae) were collected. The spinturnicid Spinturnix myoti (Kolenati) was the most abundant species (27 specimens) and
only recorded on Myotis nattereri (Kuhl). The species Steatonyssus periblepharus (Kolenati) and the genera Steatonyssus,
Macronyssus and Ancystropus are reported from Turkey for the first time, while new host and distributional data are presented.
KEY WORDS:
Gamasine, mites, Chiroptera, host-parasite relationship, Turkey