Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 25(3), 1989, pp.

433-435

Ectoparasitic Acari Found on Golden Lion Tamarins

(Leontopithecus rosalia rosalia) from Brazil

Nixon Wilson,’ James M. Dietz,24 and John 0. Whitaker, Jr.,3 ‘Department of Biology, University of Northern
Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614, USA; 2 National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20008,
USA; Department of Life Sciences, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809, USA. Present address:
Department of Zoology, The University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA

ABSTRACT: Anesthetized golden lion tamarins Mites were cleared and stained in Nesbitt’s
(Leontopithecus rosalia rosalia), a highly en-
solution and mounted in Hoyer’s medium
dangered species, were examined for ectopar-
(see Krantz, 1978); the cover slips were

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asites by brushing the fur and swabbing the ears.
Ectoparasites recovered from the fur included ringed with euparal (Carolina Biological
four species of immature ticks (Amblyomma Supply Co., Burlington, North Carolina
spp.), three species of chiggers (Euschoengastia 27215, USA). Ticks were permanently
sp., MicrotromLn’cula brennani and Speleocola stored in 70% ethanol.
taniarina), and one species of follicular mite
The golden lion tamarins were relative-
(Rhyncoptes anastosi). Ectoparasites do not seem
to be of particular significance to the health of ly free of ectoparasites. Their white skin,
the golden lion tamanin; this may in part result golden fur and lack of underfur allowed
from grooming. easy examination and ectoparasites were
Key words: Golden lion tamarins, Leonto-
easily seen. Seeds of several plant species
pithecus rosalia rosalia, ticks, chiggers, follic-
ular mites, endangered species, survey.
were found in the fur, and a number of
flying nonparasitic insects occurred in sev-
The lion tamarins (Leontopithecus ro- eral of the preserved samples. The latter
salia) are one of the world’s most endan- apparently flew directly into the collecting
gered mammals, with only a few hundred pans when the hosts were being examined
individuals remaining in the wild (Coim- at night under the gas lamps; none were
bra-Filho and Mittermeier, 1977). During seen in the fur during processing.
studies on the behavioral ecology and sta- Ticks were the most common ectopar-
tus of this species by J. M. Dietz (see K!ei- asites (Table 1). All were immature Am-
man et al., 1986), animals were examined blyomrna spp. and all were larvae except
for ectoparasites and a number of imma- for three nymphs. Three species (A, B and
ture ticks and a few mites were found. This D) were represented on the basis of
note presents information on ectoparasites nympha! morphology and most of the lar-
found in the fur of golden lion tamarins vae could be associated with species A.
(L. rosalia rosalia) from Po#{231}odas Antas Four larvae listed as species C could not
Biological Reserve, 12 km NE of Silva Jar- be placed with any of the nymphs and 11
dim, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil (22#{176}30’to larvae listed as species D may belong with
22#{176}33’S, 42#{176}15’to 42#{176}19’W). The animals the nymph of species B. The genus Am-
were examined from April 1984 to August blyomma is widespread in South America
1985. occurring on a variety of hosts. However,
Ninety tamarins were anesthetized with it has been collected infrequently from
Vetalar (ketamine hydrochloride, Parke- primates and this is the first report from
Davis, 201 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, New tamarins. About 25 species of the genus
Jersey 07950, USA). Cotton swabs were Amblyomma have been reported from
used to swab their ears, and their fur was Brazil (Robinson, 1926; Jones et a!., 1972).
brushed from nose to tail and back over a Very few species have had the immature
pan. A 5 x hand lens was used to locate stages described and associated with the
additional ectoparasites in the fur. Alcohol adults. Consequently, we could not further
was used to rinse the brushings from the identify these specimens.
pan and to initially preserve a!! arthropods. Only 27 parasitic mites of four species

433
434 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES. VOL. 25, NO. 3, JULY 1989

TABLE 1. Ectoparasites found on 90 golden lion tamanins from Po#{231}o

das Antas Biological Reserve, Rio de
Janeiro State, Brazil.

Prevalence Intensity

Ectoparasite % n Mean n Range

Acani
Ixodidae

Amblyomma sp. A 21 19 6.9 131 1-43

Amblyomma sp. B 1 1 1.0 1 1
Amblyomma sp. C 3 3 1.3 4 1-2
Amblyomma sp. D 3 3 4.0 12 1-10

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Trombiculidae
Euschoengastia sp. 1 1 1.0 1 1
Microtrombz’cula brennani 1 1 14.0 14 14
Speleocola tamarina 2 2 2.5 5 1-4
Rhyncoptidae
Rhyncoptes ana.stosi 3 3 2.3 7 1-3

were found (Table 1). Twenty of these were masid mites and fleas. Grooming is con-
chiggers representing three different sidered a major cause of ectoparasite mor-
species, all of which were undescribed at tality among mammals and mutual
the time of collection. Microtrombicula grooming is well known among primates
brennani and Speleocola tamarina have (Marshall, 1981). It may play a significant
since been described as new by Goff et a!. role in the lack of larger ectoparasites on
(1986, 1987). In the original descriptions tamarins. The only ectoparasites found in
the type data for these two species was any numbers were several species of im-
partly in error and lacked geographical mature ticks of the genus Amblyomma.
coordinates. It should read as presented Immature members of this genus f me-
above in the present study. The remaining quently occur on different hosts than the
mites, Rhyncoptes anastosi, were of a adults. Recent extensive tick surveys in
species that lives at the bases of hair fol- Panama (Fairchild et al., 1966) and Ven-
licles. It was originally described from ezuela (Jones et a!., 1972) disclosed very
Leontocebus (=Leon topithecus) rosalia few ticks on primates (excluding man) and
preserved in alcohol in the Institut Royal almost always they were immature species
des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique (Brus- of Amblyomma. Fairchild et al. (1966)
sels, Belgium; Fain, 1962). The origin of never found ticks on wild primates in Pan-
the host was unknown. Later Fain (1965) ama; all records were from captive ani-
reported the same species from two other mals.
monkeys from South America, Oedipomi- Chiggers likewise have been infrequent-
das (=Saguinus) oedipus and Tamarinus ly collected from primates and usually have
(=Saguinus) sp., which died in Antwerp been species with broad host ranges. The
(zoo?). Ours are the first records of this species listed here were described as new
mite collected from hosts in their natural and consequently very little is known about
habitat. their host relationships. The follicle mite
Ectoparasites do not seem to have an was the only ectoparasite that previously
important role in the health of golden lion had been reported from tamarins. There
tamarins and they appear to be free of are only a few records from three different
larger ectoparasites such as adult ticks, ga- hosts in the family Callithricidae. The
 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 435

species is probably restricted to members GOFF, M. L., J. 0. WIIITAKER, Jr., AND J. M. DIETZ.

of this New World family of primates in 1986. A new species of Microtromb&’cula (Acani:
Trombiculidae) from the golden lion tamanin in
their natural habitat.
Brazil. International Journal of Acarology 12: 171-
We thank A. Fain, Institut Royal des 173.
Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels, ,AND . 1987. The genus Spe-
Belgium and M. L. Goff, Department of leocola (Acani: Trombiculidae), with description

Entomology, University of Hawaii at Ma- of a new species from Brazil and a key to the
species. Journal of Medical Entomology 24: 198-
nba, Honolulu, Hawaii, for identifying the
200.
rhyncoptid mites and chiggers, respective- JONES, E. K., C. M. CLIFFORD, J. E. KEIRANS, AND
ly. Voucher specimens are deposited in the C. M. KOHLS. 1972. The ticks of Venezuela
Division of Insects, National Museum of (Acanina: Ixodoidea) with a key to the species of

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Natural History (Smithsonian Institution, Amblyomma in the Western Hemisphere. Brig-
ham Young University Science Bulletin, Biolog-
Washington, D.C. 20560, USA; chiggers)
ical Series 17(4): 1-40.
and Florida State Collection of Arthropods KLEIMAN, D. C., B. B. BECK, J.M. DIETZ, L. A. DIETZ,
(Gainesville, Florida 32602, USA; mites and J.D. BALLOU, AND A. F. COIMBRA-FILHO. 1986.
ticks). Conservation program for the golden lion tam-
arm: Captive research and management, ecolog-
LITERATURE CITED ical studies, educational strategies, and reintro-
C0IMBRA-FILH0, A. F., AND R. A. MITTERMEIER. duction. In Primates: The road to self-sustaining
populations, K. Benirschke (ed). Springer-Ver-
1977. Conservation of the Brazilian lion tama-
lag, New York, New York, pp. 959-979.
rins (Leontopithecu.s rosalia). In Primate con-
KRANTZ, C. W. 1978. A manual of acarology. Or-
servation, Prince Rainier III and C. H. Bourne
egon State University Book Stores, Corvallis, Or-
(eds.). Academic Press, New York, New York,
egon, 509 pp.
pp. 59-94.
FAIN, A. 1962. Diagnoses d’acaniens nouveaux. Re-
MARSHALL, A. C. 1981. The ecology of ectoparasitic
vue de Zoologie et de Botanique de Africaines
insects. Academic Press, New York, New York,
459 pp.
66: 154-162.
1965. A review of the family Rhyncoptidae ROBINSON, L. E. 1926. Ticks. A monograph of the
Lawrence parasitic on porcupines and monkeys.
Ixodoidea. Part IV. The genus Amblyomma.
Cambridge University Press, New York, New
Advances in Acarology 2: 135-159.
FAIRCHII.D, C. B., C. M. KOHLS, AND V. J. TIPTON. York, 302 pp.

1966. The ticks of Panama (Acarina: Ixodoidea).

In Ectoparasites of Panama, R. L. Wenzel and Received for publication 8 April 1988.
V. J. Tipton (eds.). Field Museum of Natural
History, Chicago, Illinois, pp. 167-219.