Towards better pelts from possums; mite fauna of Trichosurus vulpecula

Abstract

Seven possums from north Taranaki were collected in November and December 1991. They were skinned and the skin was divided into 5 parts; the fur was sliped and hydrolyzed to leave mites for counting by 10% aliquot. Fur mites (Listrophoridae) comprising 3 species made up 1005 (94%) of the 1069 adult mites counted. They appeared to remain at their favoured position on the possum after death. A Murichirus species of fur mite comprised 34% of the total count and was mostly confined to the shoulders of the host. Atellana papilio Domrow (17% of total) was confined to the posterior dorsal (rump) region and Petrogalochirus (Austrochirus) dycei (Domrow) Fain the most numerous mite at 45% of the total, favoured the host's anterior. All 3 species of fur mite stick their egg to the host fur. Trichosurolaelaps crassipes Womersley contrasted with the fur clasping mites in being rare at 6% (64/1069) of the total count and showing no preferred pelt part. T. crassipes and A. papilio are the mite species most likely to degrade pelts.

Keywords:

• Possum
• parasitic mites
• counts
• fur