Spinturnicidae is a family of

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 in the order

Mesostigmata Mesostigmata is an order of mites belonging to the Parasitiformes. They are by far the largest group of Parasitiformes, with over 8,000 species in 130 families. Mesostigmata includes parasitic as well as free-living and predatory forms. They can ...

. The mites are highly specialized

parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

s of wing or tail membrane or

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

s. Some species infest eyelids and eye

canthi The canthus (pl. canthi, palpebral commissures) is either corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet. More specifically, the inner and outer canthi are, respectively, the medial and lateral ends/angles of the palpebral fissure. T ...

. The species of Spinturnicidae are found in bat habitats throughout the world, living all stages of life on bats.

Genera

These 11 genera belong to the family Spinturnicidae: * '' Ancystropus'' Kolenati, 1856 * '' Cameronieta'' Machado-Allison, 1965 * '' Emballonuria'' Uchikawa, Zhang, O'Connor & Klompen, 1994 * ''

Eyndhovenia ''Eyndhovenia'' is a genus of mites in the family Spinturnicidae Spinturnicidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. The mites are highly specialized parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one o ...

'' Rudnick, 1960 * '' Meristaspis'' Kolenati, 1857 * '' Mesoperiglischrus'' Dusbábek, 1968 * '' Oncoscelus'' Delfinado & Baker, 1963 * '' Parameristaspis'' Advani & Vazirani, 1981 * '' Paraperiglischrus'' Rudnick, 1960 * '' Periglischrus'' Kolenati, 1857 * '' Spinturnix'' von Heyden, 1826

References

Mesostigmata Parasites of bats Taxa named by Anthonie Cornelis Oudemans Acari families {{Mesostigmata-stub