''Demodecidae'' is a family of parasitic

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

s, living on various species of

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s. Each species of mite is usually only found on a single mammal species, whereas a mammal species can have several different species of demodecid mites living on it. Many species of mites are restricted to very limited areas of their body, e.g. the

Meibomian glands Meibomian glands (also called tarsal glands, palpebral glands, and tarsoconjunctival glands) are sebaceous glands along the rims of the eyelid inside the tarsal plate. They produce meibum, an oily substance that prevents evaporation of the eye' ...

, the ear canal, the tongue etc. The family was formerly named ''Demodicidae''.

References

Trombidiformes Acari families {{Acari-stub