Parasite in peril? A new species of mite in the genus Ophiomegistus Banks (Parasitiformes: Paramegistidae) on an endangered host, the pygmy bluetongue lizard Tiliqua adelaidensis (Peters) (Squamata: Scincidae)

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dc.contributor.authorDerne, B.T.
dc.contributor.authorHutchinson, M.N.
dc.contributor.authorWeinstein, P.
dc.contributor.authorGardner, M.G.
dc.contributor.authorHalliday, B.
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractHost‐parasite relationships are generally understudied in wild populations but have a potential to influence host population dynamics and the broader ecosystem, which becomes particularly important when the host is endangered. Herein we describe a new species of parasitic mite from the genus Ophiomegistus (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata: Paramegistidae) of an endangered South Australian skink; the pygmy bluetongue lizard (Tiliqua adelaidensis). Adult mites were observed on lizard hosts in three different host populations, among which prevalence varied. No temporal trend in prevalence was evident over two spring‐summer seasons of monitoring. We hypothesise that the reliance on burrows as refuges by T. adelaidensis may be essential for the completion of the mite life cycle and also for horizontal transmission. The conservation implications of not only its effect on the host, but also its potential status as an endangered species itself, are considered.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityBonnie T. Derne, Mark N. Hutchinson, Philip Weinstein, Michael G. Gardner and Bruce Halliday
dc.identifier.citationAustral Ecology: a journal of ecology in the Southern Hemisphere, 2019; 44(3):420-432
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/aec.12692
dc.identifier.issn1442-9985
dc.identifier.issn1442-9993
dc.identifier.orcidWeinstein, P. [0000-0001-9860-7166]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/119937
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP120100426
dc.rights© 2018 Ecological Society of Australia
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12692
dc.subjectCo-extinction; host-parasite; Ophiomegistus; parasite; Tiliqua adelaidensis
dc.titleParasite in peril? A new species of mite in the genus Ophiomegistus Banks (Parasitiformes: Paramegistidae) on an endangered host, the pygmy bluetongue lizard Tiliqua adelaidensis (Peters) (Squamata: Scincidae)
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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