Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 12. (Budapest, 1979)

Contribution to the Knowledge of Gamasid Mites (Acari, Gamasoidea) of Small Mammals in Hungary [Dr. Milan MRCIAK[ Bratislava, Czechoslovakia "Contribution to the knowledge of Gamasid mites (Acari, Gamasoidea) of small mammals in Hungary" - Mrciak, M, - Parasit. Hung. 12. 99-104. 1979. ABSTRACT. Gamasid mites, 2 694 in number coUected from 305 small subterranean mammals were examined from West Hungary. Eighteen mite species belonging to 5 families were recorded. The last decades have been characterized by an increased interest and investigation in Gamasid mites in relation to their importance in public health and agriculture. The results showed that many mite species of this group are long-term maintenance hosts or possible vectors of pathoergonts. They may be considered as an important link in the maintenance of natural foci of infections. This group of ectoparasites was investigated also by a'Czechoslovak-Hungarian expedition in autumn 1971 in two localities near Neusiedler-Lake: SopronTómalom and Fertőboz, and in locality Gic near Pápateszér. The acarological investigation was carried out from two points of view: Firstly, to reveal the qualitative composition of Gamasid mites living on small subterranean mammals, and secondly, to gather evidence of the possible distribution and maintenance of pathoergonts of some infections with natural focality by participation of these mites in the investigated localities. The results of investigation on Gamasid mites are valuable as this question has not been studied in detail in Hungary, though the first studies were done at the end of the last and the beginning of the present century. PETRICSKO (1892) reported the distribution of some mites and ticks but only P. coleoptrarum is mentioned from the family Gamasidae. The first synoptical survey of different groups of mites is given by JABLONOWSKI (1900) in Fauna Regni Hungáriáé which work forms a basis for acarological studies in Hungary. BALOGH (1938) reported a row of free living Gamasid mites from different localities in Hungary. BALOGH and ROSTÁS (1955) clarified the previous paper dealing with the importance of Gamasid mites from different subterranean mammals in a natural focus of haemorrhagic nephrosonephritis. Many findings correspond to the qualitative and quantitative composition in our acarological material, with the exception of some systematic corrections, concerning mainly Laelaps jettmari Vitzthum, 1930 and L. festinus C. L. Koch, 1839. MAHUNKA and MOLNOS (1962) studied Gamasides living on small mammals and birds. They studied over several thousands of specimens in the collection of István SZABÓ and Miklós JANISCH and found them representing 22 species. Eight of these were added to a list of species that had been known in Hungary. Recently, BERON (1965, 1969) reported some species of Gamasid mites collected from bats in the territory of Hungary. The all Gamasid mites, 2694 specimens, originate from small subterranean mammals, 305 in number caught in the localities Fertőboz and Gic (Com. Győr-Sopron and Veszprém). Eighteen species belonging to six families were identified in the classification after BREGETOVA (19 56), EVANS and TILL (1966), MICHERDZINSKI (19 69), SAMSINÁK and DUSBÁBEK (1971).