Androlaelaps fahrenholzi (Berlese)

Howell, Lindsey, Jelden, Katelyn, Rácz, Elizabeth, Gardner, Scott L. & Gettinger, Donald, 2016, Arthropods infesting small mammals (Insectivora and Rodentia) near Cedar Point Biological Station in southwestern Nebraska, Insecta Mundi 2016 (478), pp. 1-16 : 9

Androlaelaps fahrenholzi (Berlese)

Type host: unknown; from Germany, Europe.

Deposition, host records, and locality: HWML 101657, D. ordii /Station Grounds 2012; HWML 101664, M. ochrogaster /Station Grounds 2012; HWML 101669 and 101670, M. ochrogaster /Station Grounds 2012; HWML 101677, C. hispidus /Grama Grass 2012; HWML 91986, O. leucogaster /Grama Grass 2012; HWML 91987, O. leucogaster /Grama Grass 2012; HWML 91990, O. leucogaster /Grama Grass 2012; HWML 101688, Pg. flavescens /Arapahoe 2012; HWML 92006, Pm. maniculatus /Station Grounds 2013; HWML 101699 and 92021, O. leucogaster /Ackley 2013; HWML 101716 and 101719, O. leucogaster /Ackley 2013; HWML 101723 and 92030, O. leucogaster /Ackley 2013; HWML 101711, Pg. flavescens /Ackley 2013; HWML 101757, 101758, and 92043, O. leucogaster /Grama Grass 2013; HWML 92056, O. leucogaster /Grama Grass 2013; HWML 101791, Pg. flavescens /Grama Grass 2013; HWML 101797, S. cinereus /Breen’s Flyway 2013; HWML 101804, R. megalotis /Breen’s Flyway 2013; HWML 101805, Z. hudsonius / Breen’s Flyway 2013; HWML 101807, Z. hudsonius / Breen’s Flyway 2013; HWML 101808, Z. hudsonius / Breen’s Flyway 2013; HWML 92067, Pm. leucopus /Breen’s Flyway 2013; HWML 101814, M. ochrogaster /Station Grounds 2013.

Remarks: The genus Androlaelaps s.l. is problematical and unsettled taxonomically. Historically, a wide range of morphologically variable mite populations have been identified under the names A. fahrenholzi and Androlaelaps glasgowi (Ewing) . Furman (1966) placed A. glasgowi in synonymy with A. fahrenholzi , so for the purposes of this paper we have chosen to continue using this epithet for these mites, even though they occur on multiple host species around CPBS. More research is needed to assess whether this species is truly polyxenous, or a composite of more host specific, but cryptic species. In just two collecting periods, we have collected A. fahrenholzi from nine different genera of hosts ( Sorex , Onychomys , Peromyscus , Reithrodontomys , Microtus , Zapus , Chaetodipus , Dipodomys , and Perognathus ). Rapp (1962) recorded the occurrence of A. glasgowi on several species of small mammal hosts in Nebraska, and noted that the “specimens show intraspecific variations depending upon their host”.