A new genus and species of Leeuwenhoekiidae Womersley, 1944 (Trombidiformes) parasitizing a centipede from Brazil

Chiggers of the family Leeuwenhoekiidae are predominantly associated with vertebrate hosts, and records from arthropods remain uncommon. During a survey conducted in southeastern Brazil, larvae representing a new genus and species of leeuwenhoekiid mites were found parasitizing a centipede of the genus Scolopocryptops Newport (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha). The new taxon is herein described and illustrated based on larval morphology. The new genus is distinguished from the other leeuwenhoekiid genera by the absence of tracheae and stigmata, external row of teeth, and by the presence of a unique multipronged odontus. This finding constitutes the first confirmed association between Leeuwenhoekiidae and Chilopoda. The record broadens the known ecological spectrum of Leeuwenhoekiidae and reinforces the importance of investigating arthropod-associated Parasitengona in the Neotropical region, where their diversity and host relationships remain insufficiently explored.