Checklist of Mites (Arachnida, Acari) Reported from the Cloacae of Turtles

Abstract

Camin et al. (1967) described a new family (Cloacaridae), a new genus (Cloacarus), and two new species of parasitic mites (Acari: Prostigmata) discovered in the cloacas of two North American turtles. These minute, soft-bodied mites exhibit strongly reduced external morphological features thought to result from their endoparasitic mode of life (Bochkov and O’Connor, 2008). Since the initial discovery of these parasites, additional species have been described from the cloacal and, more rarely, subcutaneous tissues of various turtles on four continents. These mites probably infest their hosts through venereal transmission and are believed to share an ancient relationship with their hosts (Camin et al., 1967; Pence and Casto, 1975; Pence and Wright, 1998). Most of the described species are known only from female specimens and little is known about their biology. No species has been reported from more than a single host species, and most are known from only a single locality. Only the Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica) has been found to harbor more than a single species of cloacal mite. Here, I provide host-parasite and parasite-host checklists for these mites, along with the geographic distribution information associated with the available reports. Clearly, additional studies are merited in order to determine if other turtle species are infested with known or yet to be described species of mites, if any additional turtles serve as hosts for more than a single mite species, and to further elucidate the phylogenetic relationships and evolution of these interesting parasites and their hosts.