Gastronyssidae
Encyclopedia
Gastronyssidae is a family of acariform
mite
s which live as parasites on bird
s and mammal
s.
Acariformes
The Acariformes are the more diverse of the two superorders of mites. There are over 32,000 described species in 351 families, and an estimated total of 440,000 to 929,000, including undescribed species.-Systematics and taxonomy:...
mite
Mite
Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology.-Diversity and systematics:...
s which live as parasites on bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s.