Population dynamics and significance of Megninia ginglymura (Acari: Analgidae) in Brazilian commercial laying hens.

The objective of this work was to identify and characterize the mites associated with the feathers of commercial laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus Linnaeus) in Pará State, Amazon biome, Brazil, highlighting their ecological interactions, population dynamics as well as the bioecology in different breeding systems. The birds were kept in poultry houses in different systems: automated vertical system (A), automated vertical climate system (Ac) and Semi-automated Californian (S). Collections took place between January 2024 and January 2025, when ten birds were selected from each shed and feathers were collected from the following regions: wing, cloaca, back, neck, belly of each bird. Megninia ginglymura Mégnin was the most abundant mite species (99.88%) and, among the predators, Cheyletus malaccensis Oudemans and Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes (0.01%). In A, population peaks of M. ginglymura occurred in July (55.64 mites/feather) and January 2025 (90.38 mites/feather); in Ac, the peaks occurred in March during the rainy season; in S, February (64.08 mites/feather), July (63.8 mites/feather) and August (62 mites/feather). Larger populations were observed on the back, wing, and belly feathers. In all systems, the highest oviposition of M. ginglymura was observed in July, dry season, on wing feathers, vent and belly. Ac was associated with lower mite abundance and oviposition. In the Ac poultry houses, no evidence of a negative association between M. ginglymura abundance and productivity was detected. This study provides the first data for the region, highlighting M. ginglymura as the main ectoparasite species and the first record of C. malaccensis and N. barkeri in aviaries in Amazon.