Psoroptidia

Suborder Guides

4

Psoroptidia is a parvorder of astigmatid mites comprising approximately 40 . The group originated as of birds and subsequently underwent a secondary radiation onto mammals. It includes many of the most medically and veterinary significant parasitic mites, such as mites, ear mites, and feather mites. Members lack a deutonymph stage due to their obligate parasitic lifestyle.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Psoroptidia: /soːˈɾop.ti.di.a/

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Habitat

Permanent on birds and mammals; occupy skin, fur, feathers, and external ear canals of . Feather mites inhabit plumage; sarcoptoid mites inhabit skin and fur of mammals.

Distribution

Worldwide distribution, occurring wherever avian and mammalian are present. Documented from Brazil, India, China, Indonesia, Madagascar, and other regions through host-associated collections.

Host Associations

  • Birds - primary Original ; includes feather mites in superfamilies Pterolichoidea, Analgoidea, and Psoroptoidea
  • Mammals - secondary Derived from bird-associated ancestors; includes mites, ear mites, and fur mites in superfamilies Psoroptoidea, Pyroglyphoidea, and Sarcoptoidea

Life Cycle

, larva, nymph, . Deutonymph stage absent due to parasitic lifestyle—this hypopal stage is characteristic of free-living astigmatids but lost in Psoroptidia.

Behavior

Obligate permanent with horizontal transfer between documented, including -prey events. of injured, stressed, or caged hosts facilitated.

Ecological Role

causing dermatological conditions including myocoptic mange in laboratory mice and in humans and domestic animals. Feather mites may affect plumage condition. Potential for shift speciation.

Human Relevance

Contains of major medical and veterinary importance: Sarcoptes scabiei (human ), Otodectes cynotis (ear mites in dogs and cats), and Psoroptes spp. (sheep scab). Myocoptes musculinus causes myocoptic mange in laboratory mice.

Similar Taxa

  • Other AstigmataPsoroptidia distinguished by absence of deutonymph stage and obligate on vertebrates; other astigmatids typically retain deutonymph and include many free-living forms

More Details

Evolutionary history

Phylogenetic studies support origin as bird with independent colonizations of birds by Pterolichoidea, Analgoidea, and Psoroptoidea. Ancestral shifts from birds to mammals occurred in Lobalgidae, Psoroptidae, and Paracoroptinae. Sarcoptoidea switched from nidicoly to on therian mammal ancestors and evolved exclusively on this group.

Taxonomic composition

Five superfamilies: Pterolichoidea and Analgoidea (feather mites on birds), Psoroptoidea (ear mites and mites on mammals), Pyroglyphoidea (dust mites and related ), and Sarcoptoidea (fur mites and related on mammals). Higher Psoroptidia (Analgoidea–Sarcoptoidea) form a strongly supported clade.

Sources and further reading