Family TROMBICULIDAE Ewing, 1929

Museums

Regional Maps

• Trombiculinae Ewing, H.E. 1929. A Manual of the External Parasites. London : Ballière, Tindall & Cox xvi 225 pp.

Introduction

The larvae of mites in the family Trombiculidae are commonly known as chiggers or scrub itch mites. They are parasites that attack all groups of terrestrial vertebrates. In humans their bites can cause intense skin irritation, and they are also vectors of important diseases such as scrub typhus (Walter et al. 2009; Mullen & OConnor 2009). Southcott (1976, 1978) described the medical effects of chigger bites in Australia. The medical importance of these mites has resulted in an enormous literature, for which Goff et al. (1986) listed more than 2,400 references to the end of 1984. The adults and nymphs of Trombiculidae are terrestrial predators, but only a few species have been studied in detail, and the adults of many species have not been identified. The Australian fauna of over 100 species was throroughly reviewed by Domrow & Lester (1985), and that review should be consulted for a more comprehensive synonymy and bibliography of all the species.

Several species have been recorded in the Australian fauna, but are now excluded for a variety of reasons. Many early authors recorded Trombicula minor Berlese from Australia. However, all those records were based on misidentification of Eutrombicula hirsti (Sambon) (see Domrow & Lester 1985). Various authors have reported E. wichmanni as a cause of scrub itch in Australia (e.g. Southcott 1976, 1978). However, it is not recorded from Australia in the catalogue of Domrow & Lester (1985). It appears likely that Australian records of E. wichmanni refer to other species, especially Eutrombicula hirsti. Gunther (1952) considered that T. wichmanni was possibly synonymous with T. hirsti. Australian specimens previously identified as Eutrombicula gymnodactyla Womersley & Kohls, 1947 were described as Neotrombicula greenlyi Domrow, 1984. See Domrow & Lester (1985) for more details.

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

Trombiculidae: Eutrombicula gymnodactyla Womersley & Kohls, 1947 — Womersley, H. & Kohls, G.M. 1947. New genera and species of Trombiculidae from the Pacific islands. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 71: 3-12

Trombiculidae: Eutrombicula wichmanni (Oudemans, 1905) — Oudemans, A.C. 1905. Acarologische aanteekeningen. XVI. Entomologische Berichten (Amsterdam) 1(22): 216-218

Trombiculidae: Trombicula minor Berlese, 1905 — Berlese, A. 1905. Acari nuovi. Manipulus IV. (Acari di Giava). Redia. Giornale di entomologia, Firenze 2: 154-176 pls XV-XVII

General References

Domrow, R. & Lester, L.N. 1985. Chiggers of Australia (Acari : Trombiculidae) an annotated checklist, keys and bibliography. Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 114: 1-111

Goff, M.L., Loomis, R.B. & Wrenn, W.J. 1986. A chigger bibliography 1758 - 1984 (Acari: Trombiculidae): Systematics, biology, and ecology. Bulletin of the Society of Vector Ecology 11: 1–177

Gunther, C.E.M. 1952. A check list of the Trombiculid larvae of Asia and Australasia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 77: 1-60

Mullen, G.R. & OConnor, B.M. 2009. Mites (Acari). pp. 433-492 in Mullen, G.R. & Durden, L.A. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Amsterdam : Elsevier 2.

Southcott, R.V. 1976. Arachnidism and allied syndromes in the Australian region. Records of the Adelaide Children's Hospital 1: 97-186

Southcott, R.V. 1978. Australian Harmful Arachnids and Their Allies. Mitcham, South Australia : R. V. Southcott 36 pp.

Walter, D.E., Lindquist, E.E., Smith, I.M., Cook, D.R. & Krantz, G.W. 2009. Order Trombidiformes. pp. 233-420 in Krantz, G.W. & Walter, D.E. (eds). A Manual of Acarology. Lubbock, Texas : Texas Tech University Press Third edition, 807 pp.

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