While commonly employed by the agricultural and horticultural industries, biological control has rarely been utilized in herpetological husbandry to treat infectious or parasitic diseases. This case study describes the use of the predatory soil mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus to treat parasitic mite infestations in two adult inland bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Stratiolaelaps scimitus applied directly to the existing terrarium substrate appeared to have eliminated all traces of parasitic mite infestation in both lizards within 5 days. These results, although preliminary, highlight the potential utility of predatory mites and other biological control agents in the husbandry and veterinary management of reptiles in captivity.
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1 March 2015
Preliminary Notes on the Use of the Predatory Soil Mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Acari: Laelapidae) as a Biological Control Agent for Acariasis in Lizards
Robert W. Mendyk
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Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery
Vol. 25 • No. 1-2
March 2015
Vol. 25 • No. 1-2
March 2015
Acariasis
biological control
Hypoaspis miles
Lizards
predatory mites
Stratiolaelaps scimitus