{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T09:12:55Z","timestamp":1788340375180,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788307200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation","award":["\u00daNKP-23-2-I-ELTE-956"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["\u00daNKP-23-2-I-ELTE-956"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Parasitic skin mites associated with wild birds are understudied members of host\u2013parasite systems in Europe despite their ecological importance, potential role as disease vectors, and effects on host fitness. Using a multidisciplinary approach combining faunistic, ecological, and molecular methods, this study investigated two mite species that parasitize passerine birds in Hungary, Harpirhynchus dusbabeki and Blankaartia acuscutellaris. Birds were examined during field sampling conducted between 2022 and 2024 at bird ringing stations and through a nationwide volunteer bird-ringing network. Parasites were identified morphologically, prevalence patterns were analyzed statistically, and mitochondrial genetic data were used to assess phylogenetic relationships. The occurrence of H dusbabeki was recorded in Hungary for the first time, and its host spectrum was found to extend to multiple host species beyond its previously known primary host, the Bearded Reedling. Blankaartia acuscutellaris infested several passerine species, with a significantly elevated prevalence in Bearded Reedlings and markedly higher prevalence among juveniles. Genetic analyses revealed close relatedness between the Hungarian and Slovakian populations of B. acuscutellaris, but showed distinct genetic separation from morphologically identified conspecifics from Laos, Asia. These findings improve the understanding of mite\u2013passerine associations in Central\u2013Eastern Europe and highlight the value of integrating ecological and molecular approaches to reveal the patterns of host exploitation and geographic differentiation in parasitic mites.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology15171495","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T07:53:11Z","timestamp":1788335591000},"page":"1495","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Integrative Faunistic, Ecological, and Molecular Study of Harpirhynchus dusbabeki and Blankaartia acucutellaris Associated with European Passerines"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-4747-8251","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"P\u00e9ter","family":"Tak\u00e1cs","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease Ecology and Wildlife Health Research Group, HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hung\u00e1ria k\u00f6r\u00fat 21, 1143 Budapest, Hungary"},{"name":"BirdLife Hungary, Hat\u00e1r \u00fat 72, 1038 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tibor","family":"Hadarics","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BirdLife Hungary, Hat\u00e1r \u00fat 72, 1038 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7407-1715","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"J\u00f3zsef","family":"Gyur\u00e1cz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BirdLife Hungary, Hat\u00e1r \u00fat 72, 1038 Budapest, Hungary"},{"name":"Berzsenyi D\u00e1niel Teacher Training Centre, E\u00f6tv\u00f6s Lor\u00e1nd University, K\u00e1rolyi G\u00e1sp\u00e1r t\u00e9r 4, 9700 Szombathely, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1504-3092","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"P\u00e9ter","family":"Moln\u00e1r","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Berzsenyi D\u00e1niel Teacher Training Centre, E\u00f6tv\u00f6s Lor\u00e1nd University, K\u00e1rolyi G\u00e1sp\u00e1r t\u00e9r 4, 9700 Szombathely, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9943-8525","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enik\u0151","family":"Horv\u00e1th","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease Ecology and Wildlife Health Research Group, HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hung\u00e1ria k\u00f6r\u00fat 21, 1143 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8274-4238","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jen\u0151","family":"Kontsch\u00e1n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plant Protection Institute, HUN-REN Centre for Agricultural Research, P.O. Box 102, 1525 Budapest, Hungary"},{"name":"Department of Plant Sciences, Albert K\u00e1zm\u00e9r Faculty of Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, V\u00e1r t\u00e9r 2, 9200 Mosonmagyar\u00f3v\u00e1r, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5992-4844","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"K\u00e1roly","family":"Erd\u00e9lyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Disease Ecology and Wildlife Health Research Group, HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hung\u00e1ria k\u00f6r\u00fat 21, 1143 Budapest, Hungary"},{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hung\u00e1ria k\u00f6r\u00fat 23-25, 1143 Budapest, Hungary"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"358","DOI":"10.1016\/S0169-5347(00)01924-8","article-title":"Mites and birds: Diversity, parasitism and coevolution","volume":"15","author":"Proctor","year":"2000","journal-title":"Trends Ecol. 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