Pyemotes tritici

Last updated

Pyemotes tritici
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Subclass:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
P. tritici
Binomial name
Pyemotes tritici
(LaGrèze-Fossat & Montagné, 1851) [1]
Synonyms

Acarus triticiLaGrèze-Fossat & Montagné, 1851

Pyemotes tritici is a species of mite known as the grain itch mite [2] or straw itch mite. [3] It is a cosmopolitan species that is found on straw, hay and stored grain. It is a parasite of small arthropods and is being investigated as a possible biological control of stored product pests. It is associated with dermatitis in humans, [4] and it causes an itchy rash.

Contents

Life cycle

Pyemotes tritici is ovoviviparous, this means that the embryos fully develop inside the female, emerging from the birth canal as adults. Males are born after a gestation period that is two days less than that of the females, the males help the females to emerge and copulation takes place as soon as the females are born. In fact any unmated female is unable to copulate later in life. Fewer than 10% of the offspring are male, although the proportion rises under conditions of gross overcrowding. On average, each female produces about 250 offspring, but after mating with about fifteen females, male fertility rates decline. [3]

Ecology

Pyemotes tritici is a parasite of arthropods. The females puncture the host with her stylet, injecting a toxic venom that paralyses the host, which eventually dies. [3] The Angoumois grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella) is a pest of stored grain, laying its eggs on the seedheads in the field or on the grain in the silo. Until 1882, it was thought that Pyemotes tritici, which is sometimes found swarming over stored straw or hay, was feeding on the crop, however it turned out that the mites are carnivorous and are feeding on the larvae of the moth and other insect pests. When the mites come into contact with human skin, they attempt to feed there, causing an intense itchiness, often over the whole body surface. After about sixteen hours, blister-like vesicles erupt on the skin surface and other symptoms can include headache, joint pain, fever and nausea. [2]

Use in biological pest control

The mite is being investigated as a potential biological pest control agent for stored product pests; its high rate of population growth is likely to exceed that of its host arthropod, and it has been found possible to mass rear it in the laboratory. [3]

Related Research Articles

Mite type of arthropod

Mites are small arachnids.

<i>Sarcoptes scabiei</i> Species of mite

Sarcoptes scabiei or the itch mite is a parasitic mite that burrows into skin and causes scabies. The mite is found in all parts of the world. Humans are not the only mammals that can become infected. Other mammals, such as wild and domesticated dogs and cats as well as ungulates, wild boars, bovids, wombats, koalas, and great apes are affected.

Swimmers itch

Swimmer's itch, cercarial dermatitis or schistosome dermatitis is a short-term allergic immune reaction occurring in the skin of humans that have been infected by water-borne schistosomes, a type of flatworms. It is common in freshwater, brackish and marine habitats worldwide. Incidence may be on the rise, although this may also be attributed to better monitoring. Nevertheless, the condition has been regarded as emerging infectious disease.

Codling moth Species of moth that feeds on fruit (Cydia pomonella)

The codling moth is a member of the Lepidopteran family Tortricidae. They are major pests to agricultural crops, mainly fruits such as apples and pears. Because the larvae are not able to feed on leaves, they are highly dependent on fruits as a food source and thus have a significant impact on crops. The caterpillars bore into fruit and stop it from growing, which leads to premature ripening. Various means of control, including chemical, biological, and preventive, have been implemented. This moth has a widespread distribution, being found on six continents. Adaptive behavior such as diapause and multiple generations per breeding season have allowed this moth to persist even during years of bad climatic conditions.

Indianmeal moth Species of moth

The Indianmeal moth, also spelled as Indian meal moth and Indian-meal moth, is a pyraloid moth of the family Pyralidae. Alternative common names are weevil moth, pantry moth, flour moth or grain moth. The almond moth and the raisin moth are commonly confused with the Indian-meal moth due to similar food sources and appearance. The species was named after being noted for feeding on Indian-meal or cornmeal and it does not occur natively in India as the aberrant usage of Indian meal moth would suggest. It is also not to be confused with the Mediterranean flour moth, another common pest of stored grains.

Acariasis is an infestation with mites.

Almond moth Species of moth

The almond moth or tropical warehouse moth is a small, stored-product pest. Almond moths infest flour, bran, oats, and other grains, as well as dried fruits. It belongs to the family of snout moths (Pyralidae), and more specifically to the tribe Phycitini of the huge snout moth subfamily Phycitinae. This species may be confused with the related Indian mealmoth or the Mediterranean flour moth, which are also common pantry pests in the same subfamily.

Mediterranean flour moth Species of moth

The Mediterranean flour moth or mill moth is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is a common pest of cereal grains, especially flour. This moth is found throughout the world, especially in countries with temperate climates. It prefers warm temperatures for more rapid development, but it can survive a wide range of temperatures.

Medical entomology

The discipline of medical entomology, or public health entomology, and also veterinary entomology is focused upon insects and arthropods that impact human health. Veterinary entomology is included in this category, because many animal diseases can "jump species" and become a human health threat, for example, bovine encephalitis. Medical entomology also includes scientific research on the behavior, ecology, and epidemiology of arthropod disease vectors, and involves a tremendous outreach to the public, including local and state officials and other stake holders in the interest of public safety. Medical Entomologists are employed by private and public universities, private industries, and federal, state, and local government agencies, including all three branches of the US military - who hire medical entomologists to protect the troops from infectious diseases that can be transmitted by arthropods. Historically, during wars, more people have died due to insect-transmitted diseases, than to all the battle injuries combined.

<i>Pyemotes herfsi</i> Species of mite

Pyemotes herfsi, also known as the oak leaf gall mite or itch mite, is an ectoparasitic mite identified in Western Canada in 1923 and subsequently found in India, Asia, and the United States. The mite parasitizes a variety of insect hosts and bites humans, causing red, itchy, and painful wheals (welts). The mites are barely visible, measuring about 0.2-0.8 millimeters; their great reproductive potential, small size, and high capacity for dispersal by wind make them difficult to control or avoid.

<i>Pyralis farinalis</i> Species of moth

Pyralis farinalis, the meal moth, is a cosmopolitan moth of the family Pyralidae. Its larvae (caterpillars) are pests of certain stored foods, namely milled plant products.

Flour mite Species of mite

The flour mite, Acarus siro, a pest of stored grains and animal feedstuffs, is one of many species of grain and flour mites. An older name for the species is Tyroglyphus farinae.

Trombiculidae Family of arachnids

Trombiculidae are a family of mites. Chiggers are often confused with jiggers - a type of flea. Several species of Trombiculidae in their larva stage bite their animal or human host and by embedding their mouthparts into the skin causing "intense irritation" or "a wheal, usually with severe itching and dermatitis",

Gamasoidosis

Gamasoidosis or dermanyssosis is a frequently unrecognized ectoparasitosis and source of growing concern in human medicine, occurring after contact with avian mites which infest canaries, sparrows, starlings, pigeons and poultry and caused by two genera of mites, Ornithonyssus and Dermanyssus. Avian mite species implicated include the red mite, tropical fowl mite and northern fowl mite . Mite dermatitis is also associated with rodents infested with the tropical rat mite, spiny rat mite and house-mouse mite, where the condition is known as rodent mite dermatitis. Urban gamasoidosis is associated with window-sills, ventilation and air-conditioning intakes, rooves and eaves, which serve as shelters for nesting birds. Humans bitten by these mites experience a non-specific dermatitis with intense itching.

<i>Rhyzopertha</i> Genus of beetles

Rhyzopertha is a monotypic genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae, the false powderpost beetles. The sole species, Rhyzopertha dominica, is known commonly as the lesser grain borer, American wheat weevil, Australian wheat weevil, and stored grain borer. It is a beetle commonly found within store bought products and pest of stored cereal grains located worldwide. It is also a major pest of peanuts. The first documentation of wheat infestation by R. dominica was observed in Australia. R. dominica are usually reddish brown to dark brown in coloration, vary in sizes, elongated and cylindrical.

Pyroglyphidae Family of mites

Pyroglyphidae is a family of non-parasitic mites. It includes the house dust mite that live in human dwellings, many species that live in the burrows and nests of other animals, and some pests of dried products stored in humid conditions.

Mites of domestic animals

Mites that infest and parasitize domestic animals cause disease and loss of production. Mites are small invertebrates, most of which are free living but some are parasitic. Mites are similar to ticks and both comprise the order Acari in the phylum Arthropoda. Mites are highly varied and their classification is complex; a simple grouping is used in this introductory article. Vernacular terms to describe diseases caused by mites include scab, mange, and scabies. Mites and ticks have substantially different biology from, and are classed separately from, insects. Mites of domestic animals cause important types of skin disease, and some mites infest other organs. Diagnosis of mite infestations can be difficult because of the small size of most mites, but understanding how mites are adapted to feed within the structure of the skin is useful.

Mites of livestock

Mites are small crawling animals related to ticks and spiders. Most mites are free-living and harmless. Other mites are parasitic, and those that infest livestock animals cause many diseases that are widespread, reduce production and profit for farmers, and are expensive to control.

Rodent mite dermatitis is an often unrecognized ectoparasitosis occurring after human contact with haematophagous mesostigmatid mites that infest rodents, such as house mice, rats and hamsters. The condition is associated with the tropical rat mite, spiny rat mite and house mouse mite which opportunistically feed on humans. Rodent mites are capable of surviving for long periods without feeding and travelling long distances when seeking hosts. Cases have been reported in homes, libraries, hospitals and care homes. A similar condition, known as gamasoidosis, is caused by avian mites.

Pyemotidae Family of mites

Pyemotidae is a family of mostly parasitic mites that feed on the larvae and other developmental stages of various insects but some species are herbivorous or fungivorous.

References

  1. OConnor, B.; Klimov, P. (30 April 2012). "Pyemotes tritici (LaGrèze-Fossat & Montagné, 1851)". UMMZ Insect Division. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 Berenbaum, May (1993). Ninety-nine More Maggots, Mites, and Munchers . University of Illinois Press. pp.  31–32. ISBN   978-0-252-06322-0.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Schuster, Reinhart (2012). The Acari: Reproduction, development and life-history strategies. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 209–219. ISBN   978-94-011-3102-5.
  4. S. Rosen, I. Yeruham & Y. Braverman (2002). "Dermatitis in humans associated with the mites Pyemotes tritici, Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus bacoti and Androlaelaps casalis in Israel". Medical and Veterinary Entomology . 16 (4): 442–444. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2915.2002.00386.x. PMID   12510897.