Family PSOROPTIDAE Canestrini, 1891

Museums

Regional Maps

• Psoroptidae Canestrini, G. 1891. Abbozzo del sistema acarologico. Atti del Reale Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti 7 2: 699-725.
• Acaroptidae Womersley, H. 1953. On the sarcoptid or mange-mites of the wombat. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 11: 69-73.

Introduction

The Psoroptidae is a family of ectoparasitic mites that occur in on a wide variety of mammalian hosts. They occur in the skin of many species of mammals, including important livestock species such as sheep, cattle, horses and goats, where they can cause serious economic losses (OConnor 2009; Mullen & OConnor 2009). Different species occur preferentially on the body and ears of their hosts. The 29 genera and 50 species were reviewed by Bochkov (2010). The Australian fauna includes four genera and five species, which are found on domesticated mammals and a few species of marsupials (Domrow 1992).

See Strong & Halliday (1992) for an account of the confusion surrounding unconfirmed records of Psoroptes equi in Australia. A species referred to as Psoroptes communis var. ovis was present in Australia and caused a serious outbreak of sheep scab in the period up to 1850. However, control measures were apparently successful, the mite was eradicated, and it now appears to be absent from Australia (Seddon 1952, 1968; Strong & Halliday 1992).

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

PSOROPTIDAE: Psoroptes equi (Hering, 1838) — Hering, E. 1838. Die Kräzmilben der Thiere und einige verwandte Arten, nach eigenen Untersuchungen beschrieben. Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Germanicae Naturae Curiosorum 18: 573-624 + Plates XLIII-XLV

PSOROPTIDAE: Psoroptes ovis (Hering, 1838) — Hering, E. 1838. Die Kräzmilben der Thiere und einige verwandte Arten, nach eigenen Untersuchungen beschrieben. Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Germanicae Naturae Curiosorum 18: 573-624 + Plates XLIII-XLV

General References

Bochkov, A.V. 2010. A review of mammal-associated Psoroptidia (Acariformes: Astigmata). Acarina. Russian Journal of Acarology 18: 99–260

Domrow, R. 1992. Acari Astigmata (excluding feather mites) parasitic on Australian vertebrates: an annotated checklist, keys and bibliography. Invertebrate Taxonomy 6: 1459-1606

Mullen, G.R. & OConnor, B.M. 2009. Mites (Acari). pp. 433-492 in Mullen, G.R. & Durden, L.A. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Amsterdam : Elsevier 2.

OConnor, B.M. 2009. Cohort Astigmatina. pp. 565–657 in Krantz, G.W. & Walter, D.E. (eds). A Manual of Acarology. Lubbock, Texas : Texas Tech University Press Third edition, 807 pp.

Seddon, H.R. 1952. Diseases of Domestic Animals in Australia. Part 3. Tick and Mite Infestations. Commonwealth of Australia Department of Health, Service Publication (Division of Veterinary Hygeine) 7. 200 pp.

Seddon, H.R. 1968. Diseases of Domestic Animals in Australia. Part 3. Arthropod Infestations (Ticks and Mites). Commonwealth of Australia Department of Health, Service Publication (Veterinary Hygeine) (Revised by H. E. Albiston) Vol. 7 170 pp.

Strong, K.L. & Halliday, R.B. 1992. Biology and host specificity of the genus Psoroptes Gervais (Acarina: Psoroptidae), with reference to its occurrence in Australia. Experimental and Applied Acarology 15: 153-169

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