MITE FAUNA OF GERMAN FARMS

Storage mites are important sources of airborne allergens, especially on farms. A mite survey was conducted in the working environments of 1 21 farms in five regions of Germany. Of 859 samples, 743 (86.4%) conta ined mites, representing 547 857 astigmatic mites in 723 g of dust and 34 501 prostigmatic mites in 469 g of dust. Dust samples from nine si tes of each farm were collected and analyzed. Ninety-three percent of all mites belonged to the order Astigmata (storage-and house-dust-mite species); 35 Astigmata and 14 Prostigmata mite species were identifie d. According to the abundance and steadiness of the important astigmat ic mite species, the following order was found: Lepidoglyphus destruct or > Glycyphagus domesticus > Acarus siro > Tyrophagus longior > Blomi a tjibodas > Chortoglyphus arcuatus > Thyreophagus entomophagus > Tyro phagus putrescentiae > Euroglyphus longior > Tyrophagus palmarum > Aca rus farris > Acarus immobilis > Gohieria fusca. Blomia tjibodas was de scribed for the first time as an abundant species of farms in Germany.