Acari on murine rodents along an altitudinal transect on Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Abstract

Rodents were trapped seasonally during a two-year period at 14 primary sites from 840 to 2440 m on a transect (with additional collecting to 2895 m), and intensively collected in the Kilauea Forest near the transect. The sampled habitats were not in the proximity of human habitations. Three of the four murine species present in the Hawaiian Archipelago were taken: Mus musculus, Rattus rattus, and R. exulans. Ectoparasites were recovered from rodents by a standardized washing technique. Mammalogical and parasitological data were analyzed by computer. The occurrence, host associations, and spatial distribution of some Acari are treated here. Significant correlations, including those for some permanently parasitic mites, are partially independent of host factors and are associated with local differences in climate.