First cerrado record of Charletonia rocciai (Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae) on a flea beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), with notes on its distribution

Abstract

Erythraeidae is known for its parasitic larval stage, which targets a wide variety of arthropods, followed by predatory post-larval stages. In Brazil, more than 30 species of erythraeid mites have been recorded, but knowledge of host specificity and geographic distribution remains limited. Among them, Charletonia rocciai Treat & Flechtmann, 1979, has been reported exclusively in Brazil, mainly in southeastern and southern states, parasitizing arthropods from various orders. Here, we report a new host association of C. rocciai with the flea beetle Walterianella tapuiae Begha & Prado, 2025 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini: Oedionychina), collected in the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco (Goiás, Central-Western Brazil), within the Cerrado biome. This is the first record of C. rocciai parasitizing a chrysomelid beetle and its first occurrence in the Cerrado. This finding expands both the known host range and geographic distribution of C. rocciai, supporting its generalist parasitic behavior and highlighting the importance of increasing sampling efforts in underexplored biomes. Cooperative investigations between specialists in different groups are crucial for a better understanding of the ecological roles of erythraeid mites in terrestrial ecosystems.