Evaluation of the Viability of Otodectes cynotis ear Mite in Laboratory Conditions and in Herbal Environment

Otodectes cynotis, commonly referred to as the ear mite, is an obligate surface-dwelling ectoparasite that predominantly colonizes the external auditory canal of cats, dogs, and other carnivorous hosts, where it induces otitis externa.This study aimed to evaluate the viability of ear mites treated with herbal extracts under laboratory conditions.In the experiment, O. cynotis were collected from naturally infested animals, grouped by life cycle stages, and subjected to various environments, including sterile petri dishes as a control, and dishes treated with herbal agents such as Eupatorium fortunei, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Derris elliptica.The results of testing the developmental stages of ear mites showed that, under laboratory conditions, the maximum survival time of mites was 6 days; by the 7th day, all mites had died.In the E. fortunei extract environment, most mites killed within the first 6 hours and were completely dead within 24 hours.When tested with the Derris elliptica extract, ear mites died completely before the first 48 hours; very few mites survived after 24 hours, with 6.28% of the female mites and 1.00% of the deutonymphs still alive.In the R. officinalis extract environment, adult mites could survive for to 48 hours, whereas immature stages could only survive up to 24 hours.The present findings indicate that herbal extracts derived from E. fortunei, R. officinalis, and Derris elliptica possess significant therapeutic potential for the clinical management of O. cynotis infestations in cats.