333
multiple occasions (Dowling and OConnor 2010). Some families are known from
only one—or a handful—of species and can have quite specific host relationships
(see below). Data on host taxa was primarily taken from Valiente et al. (2005) and
Lindquist et al. (2009). The entire Dermanyssoidea group can be dated to an Eocene
(ca. 44–49 Ma) Baltic amber record of Laelapidae, but the other dermanyssoid families lack as fossil record:
1. Laelapidae include both free living and parasitic forms. Some species parasitise
other arthropods and a remarkable fossil discovery was an example of the
extant genus Myrmozercon attached to the head of an ant (Dunlop et al. 2014)
in Eocene Baltic amber (Fig. 9.6a, b). Living members of this genus are thought
to be parasitic on ants—as opposed to merely commensal—but this has yet to
be demonstrated experimentally (Joharchi and Moradi 2013). Other laelapids
are typically associated with the nests of small mammals or birds and several
species have shifted to a parasitic lifestyle and feed on blood or lymph. At least
one species, the spiny rat mite Laelaps echidnina, can induce dermatitis in
humans (Diaz 2010).
2. Varroidae are an economically important group which parasitise bees. These
pests attack both adults and larvae—which in itself may kill the host—and also
transmit pathogens (e.g. Rosenkrantz et al. 2010). Varroid mites are thus
thought to be one of the factors causing a decline in honeybee numbers (e.g. Le
Conte et al. 2010).
3. Iphiopsididae are associated with myriapods, arachnids and terrestrial crustaceans and are sometimes treated as a subgroup of Laelapidae (Nemati et al.
2015). Their exact mode of life remains equivocal, but they are thought to be
either commensal or parasitic on their hosts.
4. Ixodorhynchidae are ectoparasites of snakes (Dowling 2009).
5. Omentolaelapidae is a monotypic family, whose sole species is an ectoparasite
of colubrid snakes (Fajfer 2012).
6. Dasyponyssidae are a rare group with two genera which parasitise armadillos
(Radovsky and Yunker 1971).
7. Manitherionyssidae is a monotypic family whose sole species parasitises pangolins (Valiente et al. 2005).
8. Hystrichonyssidae is a monotypic family whose sole species parasitises Asian
porcupines (Keegen et al. 1960) and (questionably) snakes.
9. Spinturnicidae are ectoparasites of the wing membranes of microbats (=
Microchiroptera) (Gettinger and Gribel 1989).
10. Spelaeorhychidae are a rare group of quite large mesostigmatids which were
originally believed to be ticks. These mites parasitise bats (Martyn 1988). Their
demanyssoid affinities have been questioned in the literature and they may
deserve their own superfamily.
11. Macronyssidae are a fairly large group of haematophagous ectoparasites which
can be found on reptiles, birds and mammals. Some species such as the tropical
rat mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti) can also affect humans causing dermatitis
9 Chelicerates as Parasites
multiple occasions (Dowling and OConnor 2010). Some families are known from
only one—or a handful—of species and can have quite specific host relationships
(see below). Data on host taxa was primarily taken from Valiente et al. (2005) and
Lindquist et al. (2009). The entire Dermanyssoidea group can be dated to an Eocene
(ca. 44–49 Ma) Baltic amber record of Laelapidae, but the other dermanyssoid families lack as fossil record:
1. Laelapidae include both free living and parasitic forms. Some species parasitise
other arthropods and a remarkable fossil discovery was an example of the
extant genus Myrmozercon attached to the head of an ant (Dunlop et al. 2014)
in Eocene Baltic amber (Fig. 9.6a, b). Living members of this genus are thought
to be parasitic on ants—as opposed to merely commensal—but this has yet to
be demonstrated experimentally (Joharchi and Moradi 2013). Other laelapids
are typically associated with the nests of small mammals or birds and several
species have shifted to a parasitic lifestyle and feed on blood or lymph. At least
one species, the spiny rat mite Laelaps echidnina, can induce dermatitis in
humans (Diaz 2010).
2. Varroidae are an economically important group which parasitise bees. These
pests attack both adults and larvae—which in itself may kill the host—and also
transmit pathogens (e.g. Rosenkrantz et al. 2010). Varroid mites are thus
thought to be one of the factors causing a decline in honeybee numbers (e.g. Le
Conte et al. 2010).
3. Iphiopsididae are associated with myriapods, arachnids and terrestrial crustaceans and are sometimes treated as a subgroup of Laelapidae (Nemati et al.
2015). Their exact mode of life remains equivocal, but they are thought to be
either commensal or parasitic on their hosts.
4. Ixodorhynchidae are ectoparasites of snakes (Dowling 2009).
5. Omentolaelapidae is a monotypic family, whose sole species is an ectoparasite
of colubrid snakes (Fajfer 2012).
6. Dasyponyssidae are a rare group with two genera which parasitise armadillos
(Radovsky and Yunker 1971).
7. Manitherionyssidae is a monotypic family whose sole species parasitises pangolins (Valiente et al. 2005).
8. Hystrichonyssidae is a monotypic family whose sole species parasitises Asian
porcupines (Keegen et al. 1960) and (questionably) snakes.
9. Spinturnicidae are ectoparasites of the wing membranes of microbats (=
Microchiroptera) (Gettinger and Gribel 1989).
10. Spelaeorhychidae are a rare group of quite large mesostigmatids which were
originally believed to be ticks. These mites parasitise bats (Martyn 1988). Their
demanyssoid affinities have been questioned in the literature and they may
deserve their own superfamily.
11. Macronyssidae are a fairly large group of haematophagous ectoparasites which
can be found on reptiles, birds and mammals. Some species such as the tropical
rat mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti) can also affect humans causing dermatitis
9 Chelicerates as Parasites