| abstract | Chiggers of the subgenus Leptotrombidium of the genus Leptotrombidium are the dominant members of the fauna of trombiculid mites occurring on rodents and other small mammals in Thailand. Six new species (viz., L. (L.) scanloni, L. (L.) peniculatum, L. (L.) hanseni, L. (L.) elisbergi, L. (L.) binbium and L. (L.) pilosum) are described and figured, and notes and illustrations are included for L. (L.) arvina (Schluger 1960), L. (L.) fulleri (Ewing 1945), L. (L.) burmense (Ewing 1945) and L. (L.) scutellare (Nagayo et al. 1921), which are reported from Thailand for the first time. Since the new species are closely related to the classical vectors of scrub typhus, L. (L.) akamushi (Brumpt 1910) and L. (L.) deliense (Walch 1922) (both of which occur in Thailand), and since some of the named forms mentioned above are suspected as being vectors, it is of interest that the new species are sufficiently common to warrant consideration as playing a role in the ecology of this infection. |