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Psoroptes

Psoroptes

Psoroptes

Taxonomy

  • Kingdom Animalia
  • Phylum Arthropoda
  • Class Arachnida
  • Order Astigmata
  • Family Psoroptidae

Final host

  • Equidae, ruminants and leporidae

    Morphology

  • Adults: ova-bodied (≈ 0.4-0.7 mm), non-burrowing, astigmatic mites with a pointed gnathosoma
  • The legs are long (the two hind pairs are visible from above)
  • The pedicels are three-jointed and bear funnel-shaped suckers (pulvilli)
  • Males have a pair of copulatory suckers, which engage the copulatory tubicles of the female deutonymph

    Cycle

  • Direct
  • All developmental stages (egg, larva, nymphal stages and adults) occur on the same host

    Location

  • Skin surface

    Feeding

  • Lymph and skin desquamated cells

    Diagnostic

  • Larvae, nymphs and adults

    Transmission

  • Larvae, nymphs and adults