| Dermanyssoidea Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tinaminyssus melloi (Rhinonyssidae) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Mesostigmata |
| Suborder: | Monogynaspida |
| Infraorder: | Gamasina |
| Superfamily: | Dermanyssoidea Kolenati, 1859 |
Dermanyssoidea is a superfamily of mites, including most of the mites which parasitise vertebrates. [1]
Dermanyssoidea contains 21 families:
The familial composition is debated. For example, a 2010 analysis found Spelaeorhynchidae and Spinturnicidae to be more closely related to Eviphidoidea than to Dermanyssoidea. [2]
Dermanyssoidea are morphologically variable. For example, within Dermanyssus (Dermanyssidae) alone, there are some species that are compact and sclerotised with short and stout legs, while others are soft-bodied (to allow engorgement with blood) with reduced shields and slender legs. [3] Like mites in general, Dermanyssoidea have a pair of chelicerae, but the size and shape of cheliceral segments and digits is highly variable across the superfamily. [4]
Spelaeorhynchidae and Spinturnicidae are highly modified morphologically for living on bats, with Spelaeorhynchus praecursor (the first known species of Spelaeorhynchidae) initially being mistaken for a tick due to its appearance. [2] Similarly, the laelapid Sphaeroseius ecitophilus looks like a spider, not a mite, and was misidentified as a spider initially (Brucharachne ecitophila). [5]
This superfamily engages in various forms of parasitism on a wide range of hosts. Some mainly inhabit animal nests and move onto hosts only to feed, while others live on hosts permanently. In the former group, there are facultative parasites that may feed on a host but are normally predacious, and obligate parasites that must feed on a host. [6]
Due to their parasitism, some Dermanyssoidea are vectors of disease-causing pathogens. They are known or suspected to transmit viruses, bacteria, protozoans and nematodes. Most of these vectors are in families Dermanyssidae, Macronyssidae and Laelapidae. [7]
A 2010 analysis suggests that parasitism evolved independently at least eight times within Dermanyssoidea. [4]
Mites are small arachnids. Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as each other's closest relative within Arachnida, rendering the group non-monophyletic. Most mites are tiny, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) in length, and have a simple, unsegmented body plan. The small size of most species makes them easily overlooked; some species live in water, many live in soil as decomposers, others live on plants, sometimes creating galls, while others are predators or parasites. This last type includes the commercially destructive Varroa parasite of honey bees, as well as scabies mites of humans. Most species are harmless to humans, but a few are associated with allergies or may transmit diseases.
Varroa is a genus of parasitic mesostigmatan mites associated with honey bees, placed in its own family, Varroidae. The genus was named for Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar and beekeeper. The condition of a honeybee colony being infested with Varroa mites is called varroosis.
Varroa jacobsoni is a species of mite that parasitises Apis cerana. The more damaging Varroa destructor was previously included under the name V. jacobsoni, but the two species can be separated on the basis of the DNA sequence of the cytochrome oxidase I gene in the mitochondrial DNA.
Parasitiformes are a superorder of Arachnids, constituting one of the two major groups of mites, alongside Acariformes. Parasitiformes has, at times, been classified at the rank of order or suborder.
Mesostigmata is an order of mites belonging to the Parasitiformes. They are by far the largest group of Parasitiformes, with over 8,000 species in 130 families. Mesostigmata includes parasitic as well as free-living and predatory forms. They can be recognized by the single pair of spiracles positioned laterally on the body.
Astigmatina is a clade of mites in the order Sarcoptiformes. Astigmata has been ranked as an order or suborder in the past, but was lowered to the unranked clade Astigmatina of the clade Desmonomatides in the order. Astigmatina is now made up of the two groups Acaridia and Psoroptidia, which have been suborders of the order Astigmata in the past. Astigmatina contains about 10 superfamilies and 76 families under Acaridia and Psoroptidia.
Gamasoidosis, also known as dermanyssosis, is a frequently unrecognized form of dermatitis, following human infestation with avian mites of the genera Dermanyssus or Ornithonyssus. It is characterized by pruritic erythematous papules, macules and urticaria, with itching and irritation resulting from the saliva the mites secrete while feeding. These bites are commonly found around the neck and areas covered by clothing, but can be found elsewhere on the body. The avian mite Dermanyssus gallinae can also infest various body parts, including the ear canal and scalp.
Histiostoma is a genus of mites in the family Histiostomatidae.
The Laelapidae are a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. The family is also referred to in the literature as Laelaptidae, which may be the correct spelling.
Ornithonyssus sylviarum is a haematophagous ectoparasite of poultry. In both size and appearance, it resembles the red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae. They primarily infect egg laying chickens. They contribute to economic damage and feed on their host's blood which leads to lowering the egg production and feed conversion efficiency. Anemia or death can be an effect of a high amount of infestation within the birds. While they mainly do target wild birds they can also become permanent ectoparasites in the domestic poultry. The main nesting sites are generally in a close proximity to poultry coops.
The family Ameroseiidae is one of the three families of mites under the superfamily Ascoidea. There are about 12 genera and more than 130 described species in Ameroseiidae. The family has a worldwide distribution.
Rhinonyssidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. There are about 16 genera and at least 460 described species in Rhinonyssidae.
Phoresis or phoresy is a temporary commensalistic relationship when an organism attaches itself to a host organism solely for travel. It has been seen in ticks and mites since the 18th century, and in fossils 320 million years old. It is not restricted to arthropods or animals; plants with seeds that disperse by attaching themselves to animals are also considered to be phoretic.
Dermanyssus diphyes is a mite that is parasitic in the nasal passages of some birds found in Alberta and Manitoba, Canada.
Roubikia is a genus of bee-associated mites occurring in the neotropics. They are mutualists or commensals, and feed on fatty acids from floral oils and most likely on fungi. The type species is Chaetodactylus panamensis.
Rhodacaroidea is a superfamily of mites in the order Mesostigmata. There are 6 families with more than 900 described species in Rhodacaroidea, found worldwide.
Sejida is a suborder of mites in the order Mesostigmata. There are about 5 families and 13 described species in Sejida. The oldest known record of the group is an indeterminate deutonymph belonging to Sejidae from the mid Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) aged Burmese amber of Myanmar.
Wolfgang Siegfried Karg (1927–2016) was an East German entomologist who specialised in mites (Acari).
Melicharidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata.
Uropodina is an infraorder of mites in the order Mesostigmata.
