First record of chigger mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) parasitizing birds in the Ogasawara Islands

Abstract

Larvae of trombiculid mites (Acari: Trombiculidae), known as chiggers, are ectoparasites that parasitize various animals and transmit pathogens such as Orientia tsutsugamushi. We report the first record of chigger mites in the Ogasawara Islands, collected from Bonin Greenfinch Chloris kittlitzi and Warbling White-eyes Zosterops japonicus. By morphological and molecular analysis, the chiggers were identified to the genus Toritrombicula which predominantly parasitize avian hosts. Although the mites could not be identified to the species level, this finding provides new insight into the distribution of trombiculid mites of Japan.