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Mites

Mite Anatomy & Terms

1. Mite with elongate body & very short stumpy legs.
      In the follicles / skin scrape of various mammals. ........ Demodex
2. Mites with round to oval bodies & distinct legs. .......... Go to: 3 & 4


3. Mites with a distinct abdominal region and long digitiform palps.
      On the surface of hosts
                            .......... [Dermanyssus or Ornithonyssus]   Go to: 5 & 6
4. Mites with a NON-distinct abdominal region and short compact palps.
      In the epidermis of hosts .......... [Astigmatid Mites]   Go to: 7 & 8


5. Anus is located in the anterior half of the anal plate,
      Mite found on poultry at all times (accidental on mammals).
                                                                             .......... Ornithonyssus
6. Anus is located in the posterior half of the anal plate,
      Mite in roost by day; on poultry at night (accidental on mammals).
                                                                             .......... Dermanyssus

7. Mite found in the external ear canal of cats & dogs,
      1st & 2nd epimerae fuse to form a triangular shape .......... Otodectes
8. Mite found in the epidermis (skin scrape) of various mammals,
      1st epimera fuse to form a Y-shape
                                 .......... [Sarcoptes or Notoedres]   Go to: 9 & 10

9. Caruncle (sucker) on long UNsegmented pedicels (stalks),
      Mite with triangular scales on its dorsal surface,
      Anus at posterior margin of the body,
      Mite infects a variety of mammals                  .......... Sarcoptes
10. Caruncle (sucker) on long UNsegmented pedicels (stalks),
      Mite withOUT triangular scales on its dorsal surface,
      Anus on dorsal surface of the body,
      Mite infects cats                                  .......... Notoedres

Notoedres anus


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