Cheyletiellidae

Cheyletiella yasguri from dog, photographed by Michael Dryden.

Belongs within: Cheyletidae.
Contains: Ornithocheyletiini.

The Cheyletiellidae have been recognised as a family of mites parasitic on birds and mammals. They are currently recognised as a derived and possibly non-monophyletic subgroup of the otherwise predatory Cheyletidae (Bochkov & Fain 2001). Species of Criokeron and Niheliini are parasites on the hair or skin of mammals and bear retrorse hooks on the palps and idiosoma (Niheliini) or on the gnathosoma (Criokeron) for clinging to the host (Bochkov & Fain 2001).

Characters (from Bochkov & Fain 2001): Palpal tarsi without comb-like setae; palpal claws without teeth. Tarsi short and thick. Males with genital orifice situated dorsally.

<==Cheyletiellidae
    |--+--Criokeron Volgin 1966 [Criokerontinae, Criokerontini] BF01
    |  |    |--*C. quintus (Domrow & Baker 1963) [=Nihelia quinta] S77
    |  |    `--C. thailandicus BF01
    |  `--Niheliini [Niheliinae] BF01
    |       |  i. s.: Sciurocheyla squamosa Domrow & Baker 1963 BF01
    |       |--Smileycheles Fain 1979 BF01
    |       |    `--S. camerounensis Fain 1979 BF01
    |       `--+--Galagocheles Fain 1979 BF01
    |          |    `--G. lemuricola BF01
    |          `--Nihelia Domrow & Baker 1960 BF01
    |               |--*N. calcarata Domrow & Baker 1960 S77
    |               `--N. cynictis BF01
    `--+--Ornithocheyletiini BF01
       |--Teinocheylus Fain 1974 [Teinocheylinae, Teinocheylini] BF01
       |    `--*T. longissimus Fain 1975 S77
       |--Metacheyletia Fain 1972 [Metacheyletiinae, Metacheyletiini] BF01
       |    `--M. obesa BF01
       `--Cheyletiellini [Cheyletiellinae] BF01
            |--Eucheyletiella Volgin 1969 BF01
            |    |--*E. ochotonae Volgin 1960 S77
            |    |--E. daurica BF01
            |    |--E. faini BF01
            |    |--E. johnstoni BF01
            |    |--E. pallasius BF01
            |    |--E. pusillinus BF01
            |    `--E. takahasii BF01
            `--Cheyletiella Canestrini 1886 BF01 [=Cheletiella B49; incl. Ewingella Vail & Augustson 1943 B49]
                 |--*C. parasitivorax (Mégnin 1877) B49, H98 (see below for synonymy)
                 |--C. blakei Smiley 1970 H98
                 |--C. dengi BF01
                 |--C. furmani BF01
                 |--C. katangae BF01
                 |--C. romerolagi BF01
                 |--C. strandmanni BF01
                 `--C. yasguri Smiley 1970 BF01

*Cheyletiella parasitivorax (Mégnin 1877) B49, H98 [=Cheyletus parasitivorax H98, Cheletiella parasitivorax H98; incl. *Ewingella americana Vail & Auguston 1943 non Cheyletiella americana Ewing 1909 B49]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B49] Baker, E. W. 1949. A review of the mites of the family Cheyletidae in the United States National Museum. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 99 (3238): 267–320.

[BF01] Bochkov, A. V., & A. Fain. 2001. Phylogeny and system of the Cheyletidae (Acari: Prostigmata) with special reference to their host-parasite associations. Bulletin de l’Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique Entomologie 71: 5–36.

[H98] Halliday, R. B. 1998. Mites of Australia: A checklist and bibliography. CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood.

[S77] Smiley, R. L. 1977. Further studies on the family Cheyletiellidae (Acarina). Acarologia 19 (2): 225–241.

Last updated: 18 June 2022.