Description of seven new chigger mite species of the genus Hyracarus Lawrence, 1949 (Acariformes: Trombiculidae: Leeuwenhoekiinae) from the Western Cape Province, South Africa

Seven new species of the chigger mite genus Hyracarus Lawrence, 1949 are described from murid rodents in the Western Cape Province of South Africa: Hyracarus adamsi sp. nov., H. tanneri sp. nov., H. chicoi sp. nov., H. oreillyi sp. nov., H. leei sp. nov., H. lucki sp. nov., and H. britti sp. nov. A new key to species of this genus is compiled, which includes 25 valid species and two dubious species without known types.

Currently, nine species of Hyracarus are known in the Western Cape Province — H. minimus Stekolnikov, 2025, H. maximus Stekolnikov, 2025, and the seven new species described herein. Two or more of these nine species (four as maximum) co-occur in the majority of sampled sites where the genus was recorded.