ABSTRACT
General Pathology ............................................................................................ 134
General Morphology ........................................................................................ 136
General Life History ......................................................................................... 137
External Feeding Mites ..................................................................................... 138 Northern Fowl Mite (Order Mesostigmata; Family Macronyssidae) .......... 138 Chicken Mite (Order Mesostigmata; Family Dermanyssidae) ................... 140 Tropical Fowl Mite (Order Mesostigmata; Family Macronyssidae) ........... 142 Chiggers (Order Prostigmata; Family Trombiculidae) ............................... 143 Other External Feeding Mites ..................................................................... 145
Subcutaneous Feeding or Scab-Forming Mites ............................................... 145 Sheep Scab Mite (Order Astigmata; Family Psoroptidae) .......................... 145 Sarcoptes scabiei (De Geer) (Order Astigmata; Family Sarcoptidae) ........ 148 Chorioptic Mange Mite (Order Astigmata; Family Psoroptidae) ............... 150 Sheep and Cattle Itch Mites (Order Prostigmata; Family Psorergatidae) ...............................................................................................151 Demodex Mites (Order Prostigmata; Family Demodicidae) ...................... 152 Rabbit Ear Mite (Order Astigmata; Family Psoroptidae) ............................ 155 Ear Mite (Order Astigmata; Family Psoroptidae) ....................................... 156 Notoedric Cat Mite (Order Astigmata; Family Sarcoptidae) ...................... 157
Of the some 30,000 identified species of mites, most known species are free living, predaceous, or plant feeders. However, there are around 250 species of mites recognized as being of public health and/or veterinary importance. Mites belong to the subclass Acari in the class Arachnida. Within this subclass, in addition to the order Ixodida, which includes the ticks covered in Chapter 8, the orders of mites of veterinary importance include Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, and Astigmata (Table 7.1).
