Term of Award

Summer 1995

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Department

Department of Biology

Committee Chair

Daniel V. Hagan

Committee Member 1

Lance A. Durden

Committee Member 2

Oscar J. Pung

Abstract

Forty-five Brazilian free-tailed bats were captured from an old Masonic Lodge located in Millen (Jenkins County) Georgia and examined for ectoparasites. Five species of mites were found to infest the bats. Two representatives of the macronyssid family, one representative from Cheyletidae, eight specimens of the family Rosensteiniidae and five specimens from the family Uropodidae. This is the first report of the cheyletid mite, Cheletonella vespertilionis, being collected in the state of Georgia. Of 45 free-tailed bats examined, females (n=30) were the most highly infested (100%) and fourteen males (n=15) were infested (97%). In addition, 23 anatomical areas were designated on the bat and all macronyssid mites were counted to determine if host site preference by the mites was observed. Anatomical site preference was observed in the macronyssid mites (n=2,509) living on the Brazilian free-tailed bats. The mites significantly {PzO.05) chose two sites on the bat over all others. Seven species of bats were also collected from the Coastal Plain region of Georgia. Plecotus rafinesquii was observed roosting in an old portable stage in Midway (Liberty County), Georgia. This bat has not been collected or observed in over a decade in this state. Other data were collected including environmental conditions of the roost and morphological data of the bats.

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