Chiggers of Australia (Acari : Trombiculidae): and annotated checklist, keys and bibliograpy

Abstract

The Australian Trombiculidae are reviewed. and keys and illustrations provided to enable separation of all 19 genera and 107 species recognized. Trombicula chiroptera Womersley and Guntheria lappacea (Womersley) are resurrected . New synonymy: Ascoschoengastia Ewing. 1946 = Eltonella Audy. 1956; Trombicula Berlese. 1905 = Womersleyna Vercammen-Grandjean. 1960; Phyllacarus Vercammen-Grandjean. 1967 is a prior available name for species previously assigned to Domrowana Vercammen-Grandjean & Langston, 1971, Ophthalmophila Vercammen-Grandjean & Langston, 1971 and Zyzomyacarus Goff, 1979; Neoschoengastia posekanyi Wharton & Hardcastle, 1946 = N. rectangularis (Womersley, 1952) = N. struthidia Womersley, 1952; Guntheria quatuor Domrow, 1972 = G. weedunnarti Goff, 1980; and 10 species-group names of Vercammen-Grandjean and Langston (1971, 1976): G. coorongensis (Hirst, 1929) = G. waterhousei; G. wongabelensis (Womersley, 1952) = G. athertoni; G. queenslandica (Womersley, 1939) = G. podiana; G. shieldsi (Gunther, 1941) = G. davidleei; G. innisfailensis (Womersley & Heaslip, 1943) = G. failensis; G. lappacea (Womersley, 1952) = G. menu; G. kallipygos (Gunther, 1939) = G. ditrichia = G. heterotrichia = G. cowanensis; Leptotrombidium deliense (Walch, 1922) = L. vanderghinstei australe.

A host-parasite list follows a brief discussion of the origins of the Australian chigger fauna. Only Vercammenia, parasitic on frogs, shows possible Southern links. Parasites of reptiles and birds (e.g. Whartonacarus, Herpetacarus and Neoschoengastia) are derived from the Old World, though most genera are represented only by outliers. This is also true of most parasites of mammals, including bats (eg Helenicula, Schoutedenichia and Gahrliepia), and only in Eutrombicula, Neotrombicula and Guntheria have peculiarly Australian radiations occurred.