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1 March 2010 Spanish Moss, the Unfinished Chigger Story
John O. Whitaker, Carol Ruckdeschel
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Abstract

There is a widespread belief in the southern parts of the United States that Trombiculidae (Chiggers) are common in Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss) (Bromeliaceae). However, no chiggers were found among the 3297 organisms collected from T. usneoides and T. recurvata (Ball Moss) in trees and from the ground on Cumberland Island, GA. The organisms included 1721 Acari (mites), and in order of decreasing abundance were Psocoptera (barklice), Collembola (springtails), Araneae (spiders), Coccidae (scales), Thysanoptera (thrips), Formicidae (ants), Isopoda (sowbugs), Diplopoda (millipedes), Coleoptera, and Lepidoptera larvae. The millipede Polyxenus fascicularis (Polyxenidae) and the ensign scale insect Orthezia tillandsia (Ortheziidae) were of particular interest because of their rarity and host specificity, respectively.

John O. Whitaker and Carol Ruckdeschel "Spanish Moss, the Unfinished Chigger Story," Southeastern Naturalist 9(1), 85-94, (1 March 2010). https://doi.org/10.1656/058.009.0107
Published: 1 March 2010
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