Occurrence of Eutrombicula goeldii (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) in free-living Callithrix jacchus Linnaeus, 1758 (Primates: Callitrichidae) in northeastern Brazil

The present study reports the occurrence of Eutrombicula goeldii (Oudemans) (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidade) on free-living common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, in Sergipe state, northeastern Brazil. Fifty-two marmosets were captured from 12 family groups, and during the examination of some individuals, orange mites were detected in the peripheral region of the ear and eyelids. The mites were collected via skin scrapings and transparent adhesive tape and observed under a microscope. Then, the material was stored in microtubes containing 70 % alcohol for better identification later. All the material was identified as E. goeldii. While these mites were detected in almost all (93.1 %) of the marmosets captured in the Atlantic Forest, they were not found in any of the 23 individuals from the Caatinga site. The macroscopic examination revealed aggregations of orange mites in the peripheral region of the ear, where the infested individuals had superficial lesions and crusts. This is the first record of E. goeldii parasitizing C. jacchus and the third occurrence of this species infesting mammals in Brazil. •There was a predominance of chigger mites in Atlantic Forest compared to the Caatinga area.•93 % of captured marmosets in Atlantic Forest were infested.•This is the first report of Eutrombicula goeldii infesting wild common marmosets.