Three species of chigger mites, which are supposed to be agents of human trombiculiasis in Europe, have been studied based on museum collections and specimens collected by the authors. Trombicula toldti Winkler, 1953 has been transferred to the monotypic genus Blanciella Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960. The type species of this genus, Blanciella deschiensi (Vercammen-Grandjean, 1956), was synonymized with Blanciella toldti comb. nov., and B. toldti was re-described. Lectotype of B. toldti was designated based on the type material donated to Zoological Institute RAS (St. Petersburg, Russia). The lectotype of Kepkatrombicula desaleri (Methlagl, 1928) was found in Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France), and the previously designated neotype of K. desaleri has been set aside. Both B. toldti and K. desaleri have been recorded for the first time in Switzerland infesting goats (Capra hircus L., 1758). Human parasitism by Neotrombicula inopinata (Oudemans, 1909) in the UK has been confirmed for the first time with an examined museum specimen (Stekolnikov & Mumcuoglu, 2021).

The chigger mites of Israel were reviewed based on the examination of museum collections, one new sample, and literature data. At present, seven species of chiggers are known from this country. Kepkatrombicula acomys (Radford, 1957) comb. n. was re-described based on a paratype. Neotrombicula tadjikistanica Kudryashova and Abou-Taka, 1987, the type species of Kepkatrombicula Kudryashova and Stekolnikov 2010, is synonymized with K. acomys. Neotrombicula autumnalis (Shaw, 1790) was recorded in Israel for the first time based on a sample collected from a cat. The original material of Miyatrombicula cwilichi Cwilich, Hadani, Peled and Shimshoni, 1965 (nomen nudum) was examined in a museum collection; this species was found to be identical with Neotrombicula heptneri Kudryashova, 1973; the latter was recorded in Israel for the first time based on a sample from a goat. The diagnosis of Neotrombicula palestinensis (Radford, 1957) was corrected based on our examination of two paratypes and one additional specimen. The status of type specimens of Pentidionis agamae (André, 1929) was clarified based on our examination of the type series (Stekolnikov & Mumcuoglu, 2022).

Stekolnikov AA, Mumcuoglu KY. 2021. Contribution to the taxonomy of human-infesting chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) in Europe. Syst. Appl. Acarol. 26(9): 1636–1652. Link

Stekolnikov AA, Mumcuoglu KY. 2022. Chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) of Israel. Int. J. Acarol. 48 (3): 266-274. link

Mumcuoglu KY, Braverman Y. 2010. Parasitic and phoretic mites of Diptera in Israel and the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Isr. J. Entomol. 40: 195-203.

Rufli T, Mumcuoglu KY.1981. Dermatological entomology. 21. Trombiculidae/Chiggers (in German). Schweiz. Rundschau Med. 70:525-532.