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A new species of the genus Demodex Owen, 1843 (Acari: Demodecidae) from the ear canals of the house mouse Mus musculus L. (Rodentia: Muridae)

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Abstract

A new species Demodex conicus n. sp. is described based on adult and juvenile stages from the ear canals of the house mouse Mus musculus L. in Poland. The new species is most similar to D. auricularis Izdebska, Rolbiecki & Fryderyk, 2014 from the ear canals of the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus (L.), but differs in the following features: the gnathosoma is triangular, the supracoxal spines (setae elc.p) are conical, the spines on the terminal segment of palp are four, the striation on opisthosoma is fine but dense, the vulva is located at a distance of c.17 µm from posterior level of legs IV, and the male genital opening is located at the level of legs I. The differences also relate to body size and proportions, female D. conicus n. sp. being, on average slightly larger, and male significantly larger than D. auricularis. Males of the new species also have longer and more massive opisthosoma than males of D. auricularis. Demodex conicus n. sp. was found in 17.5% of the mice studied from different locations in Poland.

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Correspondence to Joanna N. Izdebska.

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Izdebska, J.N., Rolbiecki, L. A new species of the genus Demodex Owen, 1843 (Acari: Demodecidae) from the ear canals of the house mouse Mus musculus L. (Rodentia: Muridae). Syst Parasitol 91, 167–173 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-015-9561-4

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