Demodex bialoviensis sp. nov. (Acariformes, Demodecidae) a new, specific parasite of the European bison Bison bonasus (Artiodactyla, Bovidae)

Sixteen species of parasitic mites of the family Demodecidae have been described in ungulates (Ungulatomorpha), particularly among domestic animals and livestock. Specific synhospital species have been found in seven host species. Demodex bisonianus, occurring in the Meibomian glands of the eyelids, was described in the European bison Bison bonasus. Together with Trypanosoma wrublewskii and Bisonicola sedecimdecembrii, it is one of the three known specific parasite species of European bison. The European bison is not only a rare and endangered mammal, but its biology has been shaped by its recent restitution from extinction from a small pool of individuals kept in breeding facilities. This could have been the reason for the extinction of the majority of specific parasites. The present study reports the finding of a new specific parasite species, Demodex bialoviensis sp. nov., associated with the nasal skin region, in European bison from the Białowieża Forest (Poland). It is the second species of Demodex reported in this host species, however occurring in a different location.