Home | Mesostigmata (Monogynaspida) Home | Glossary

Liponyssoides

Taxonomic Position

Cohort Gamasina

    Subcohort Dermanyssiae

        Superfamily Dermanyssoidea

Family Dermanyssidae

Liponyssoides Hirst (= Allodermanyssus)

Not in key: Draconyssus Yunker & Radovsky, Laelaspisella Marais & Loots, Acanthonyssus Yunker & Radovsky

Keyed elsewhere: Dermanyssus Duges

Diagnostic characters:

• Hypertrichous dermanyssoid mites with very long, stylet-like chelcerae

• Dorsal shield entire or with a single posterior scutella

• Sternal shield bearing 3 pairs of setae; anal shield relatively large; genital shield tongue- to dagger-shaped and bearing 1 pair of setae

• Peritremes very short or reaching to anterior margin of coxae II

• Tritosternum biflagellate; seta j3 present.

Dorsal shield relatively long, without pygidial plate; genital shield broadly tongue-shaped ..... L. intermedius (Evans & Till)

 Dorsal shield strongly tapering, with separate pygidial plate; genital shield dagger-shaped ..... L. sanguineus (Hirst)

Similar taxa. Macronyssidae, Dermanyssus

Ecology & Distribution.  Blood-feeding parasites of vertebrates.  L. sanguineus (Hirst) feeds on mice, and to a lesser extent other rodents, and is a known vector of rickettsial pox.

References

Evans, G. O. and Till, W. M. 1966. Studies on the British Dermanyssidae (Acari : Mesostigmata). Part II. Classification. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology 14 : 109-370.

Moss WW.  1968.  An illustrated key to the species of the acarine genus Dermanyssus (Mesostigmata: Laelapoidea: Dermanyssidae).  Journal of Medical Entomology 5: 67-84.