Rolbiecki Leszek, Izdebska Joanna N, Dzido Joanna, Fryderyk Sławomira
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jul 18;15(14):2136. doi: 10.3390/ani15142136.
The largest Eurasian rodent, the Eurasian beaver , is known for its amphibious lifestyle that allows it to adapt its environment to its needs. Due to its lifestyle and evolutionary history, the beaver is characterized by a distinct, unique parasitofauna. In this context, the occurrence of mites from the Demodecidae family in the Eurasian beaver was investigated. The topography of the was analyzed: it was previously known from a single record from a single skin location of this host. The mite was found in large numbers in various locations in the hairy skin, including the head, trunk, and limbs. In addition, a new species associated with hairless skin, mainly around the mouth, was discovered and described: sp. nov. The females of this species carry the egg on the dorsal side of the podosoma, which may be a form of care and a previously unknown reproductive strategy in Demodecidae. Our findings confirm that a host-specific demodecid mite species associated with the hairy skin of the entire body is a universal model in mammals. They also emphasize the uniqueness of the beaver parasitofauna, as evidenced by the host specificity and the different biology of the demodecids described in it.
欧亚大陆最大的啮齿动物——欧亚河狸，以其两栖生活方式而闻名，这种生活方式使其能够根据自身需求改造环境。由于其生活方式和进化历史，河狸具有独特的寄生动物群。在此背景下，对来自蠕形螨科的螨虫在欧亚河狸身上的出现情况进行了调查。分析了该螨虫的分布情况：此前仅从该宿主单个皮肤部位的单一记录中得知其存在。在包括头部、躯干和四肢在内的多毛皮肤的各个部位都发现了大量这种螨虫。此外，还发现并描述了一种与无毛皮肤相关的新物种，主要分布在嘴部周围：新物种。该物种的雌性螨虫将卵携带在足体的背侧，这可能是一种照料方式，也是蠕形螨科一种此前未知的繁殖策略。我们的研究结果证实，与全身多毛皮肤相关的宿主特异性蠕形螨物种是哺乳动物中的一种普遍模式。研究结果还强调了河狸寄生动物群的独特性，其宿主特异性以及其中所描述的蠕形螨不同生物学特性就是证明。
