Review on mite fauna of house dust in Japan

Abstract

House dust mites are known as one of the important agent of allergic disease, and most insect-borne dermatitis is considered to be caused by some house mites. The frequency of mite caused problems in Japanese homes has been increasing. Therefore, in this paper, the house dust mites collected from residences in various places in Japan were reviewed. As a result of the survey of various places in Japan between 1964 and 1997, 135 species of mites were detected from house dust, and common species of those mites counted 50 species belonging to Astigmata, Prostigmata, Mesostigmata and Cryptostigmata. The pyroglyphid mites, two species of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae were the most common mites. Of the other mites, Acaridae, Winterschinidtiidae, Glycyphagidae, Chortoglyphidae, Histiostomatidae, Cheyletidae, Tarsonemidae, Bdellidae, Cunaxidae, Tydeidae, Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae, Raphignathoidae, Ascidae, Ameroseiidae, Phytoseiidae, Laelaptidae, Haprochthoniidae, Cosmochthoniidae, Oribatulidae and Protoplophoridae were notable. In addition, mite fauna and population were shown to change under variuous conditions; indoor, outdoor, environment, life-style and so on.