Tagmata: Prosoma, Opisthosoma

Appendages: Chelicerae, Pedipalps, Legs, Reproductive Appendages / Spinneretts

Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Subphylum: Chelicerata, Class: Arachnida, Subclass: Acari, Order: Parasitiformes

Ticks and "Tick-like" Mites

1)Legs with free coxal segment

2) Respiration via tracheal system (stigmata)

3) Sperm Transfer via spermatophores (modified mouthparts)

4) Ancestral Acarine Development Pattern

5) Ancestral ecology is predatory

1) Small

2) Sclerotized shields on dorsal and ventral idiosoma

3) Ancestrally "Chelate" Chelicerae (claw-like)

4) Hypostome Unmodified

5) Stigmatal Openings between Legs III and IV

1) Many free-living predators

2) Some Nidicoles with vertebrates

3) Facultative Nidicolous parasites with weak specificity (ex: Androlaelaps fahrenholzi)

4) Obligate Nidicolous Parasites (ex: Genus: Laelaps)

1) Derived from laelapid ancestor

2) Piercing/Sucking Mouthparts (Solenophages)

1) Derived from laelapid ancestor

2) Elongated chelicerae

3) Modified Life-Cycle: egg -> non-feeding larva -> feeding protonymph -> non-feeding deutonymph -> feeding adult

4) Hosts: bats, rodents, birds, snakes, lizards

Superfamily: Dermanyssoidea

1) Permanent Ectoparasites of Insectavores, Rodents, Carnivores

2) Dorso-ventrally flattened body

3) Often have strong hooks on legs/body

Superfamily: Dermanyssoidea

1) Parasites of bats (wings)

2) Very large legs & Pretarsal Claws

3) Reduced sclerotization

Superfamily: Dermanyssoidea

1) Endoparasites in nasal passages / lungs of birds

2) Derived from Macronyssidae (life cycle similar) 

Superfamily: Dermanyssoidea

1) In respiratory tract of rodents, primates (not humans), carnivores.  In auditory canals of ungulates.

2) Life cycle modified: Egg -> Feeding Larva -> Non-feeding Protonymph -> Non-feeding Deutonymph -> Feeding Adult

Order: Parasitiformes

1) Relatively large size

2) Toothed chelicerae

3) Hypostome with posteriorly-directed teeth

4) Haller's Organ senses CO2, heat, and odors

Suborder: Ixodida

1) Anterior dorsal scutum (hard plate on back)

2) Gnathosoma directed anteriorly (not down)

3) Stigmatal openings behind the legs

4) Pronounced sexual dimorphism

5) Simplified Life-cycle: Egg -> Larva -> Nymph -> Adult

Suborder: Ixodida

1) Ventrally-directed gnathosoma

2) Stigmata behind legs

3) Life Cycle flexible: Egg -> Larva -> Some Nymphal Instars (1-6) -> Adult

1) Ancestral Condition -- "Long Mouthparts"

2) Derived Condition -- "Short Mouthparts"

1) Chelicerae cut into host skin

2) Hypostome inserted into wound and secretes salivary materials: anti-coagulant and cement

3) Cement hardens around hypostome, gluing it in place

4) Damage to skin causes blood to pool.  Feeding via telemophagy

5) Water from blood is absored by midgut cells, then extracted and forced back into the wound or rarely excreted through coxal glands

Argasidae: Argas (birds),  Ornithodorus (mammals), Carios (bats)

Ixodidae: Ixodes (most groups), Amblyomma (many groups, especially reptiles), Hyalomma (mammals)

1) Penetrate host skin slightly

2) Excretion of a large quantity of cement

3) Excretion of enzymes (not anticoagulant) to dissolve host tissue

4) Dissolved tissue sucked in through mouth (little blood)

5) Water extracted in midgut and spat back into the host

1) Primative Condition: Nidicolous Parasites (most Argasidae, Ixodinae) of birds, bats, small mammals, lizards

2) Derived Condition: External enviornment, seek host in vegetation ("questing")

1) Most are "3-host ticks" (one host per instar, hosts may be the same or different species)

2) A few are "2-host ticks" (attach as larva stay there until reaching adulthood, when they seek a new host)

3) Some are "1-host ticks" (remain on same individual)

1) Ancestral Condition: mate off host in nest or external enviornment

2) Derived Condition: Mate on host.  Females engorge partially, exude pherimone to attract males, mate via spermataphore, engorge very quickly and lay eggs

3) Argasidae feed many times, producing small egg slutches each time, Ixodidae feed once, lay one huge clutch and die

1) Painful bites

2) "Tick Paralysis" -- result of toxins in saliva.  May be fatal.

3) Vectors of ZOONOTIC DISEASES

1) Introduction of materials to host: saliva, regurgitated water, coxal gland secretions

2) Serial use of different hosts, often different species, by the same tick

3) Most ticks feed for a long time

a) Infection trasmitted to humans through bite of nymphal tick

b) No transovarial transmission

1) Borrelia burgdorferi

2) Ixodid tick

3) White-footed Mice (or equivalent)

4) Humans

5) An appropriate enviornment (forest with trees and some wet)

6) White-tailed Deer (or equivalent)

1) Coxae of legs fused with body (outlined by internal apodemes)

2) Usually a gap between legs II and III

3) Presence of genital papillae

4) Ancestral Life Cycle with all instars.  Exhibits anamorphosis.

5) Ancestrally without tracheal system.

6) Extreme metamorphosis

7) Ancestrally indirect sperm transfer

1) Trachael system with stigmata opening between chelicerae.

2) Reduction of anamorphosis (0-2 segments added during ontogeny)

1) Reduction or loss of fixed cheliceral digit

2) Life-cycle Modification: Egg -> Pharate Prelarva -> Parasitic Larva -> Non-feeding Protonymph (completely calyptostatic) -> Predatory Deutonymph -> Non-feeding, Pharate Tritonymph -> Predatory adult

3) Larvae attach via movable digits, induce host immune response forming a stylostome.

4) Adults often large and covered with setae

5) Most diversity associated with arthropods

1) Larva attaches via moveable digits

2) Excretes salivary proteins

3) Salivary proteins induce host immune response, which forms a stylostome, out of hardened tissue.

4) Parasite feeds on haemolymph in arthropods or digested host tissue in vertebrates.

Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Subphylum: Chelicerata, Class: Arachnida, Subclass: Acari, Order: Acariformes, Suborder: Trombidiformes, Infraorder: Parasitengona, Family: Trombulicidae

"THE CHIGGERS"

1) Variable host specificity

2) Specific parasites typically induce litle host reaction, generalists produce more

1) Cheliceral bases fused with subcapitulum

2) Movable digits as stylets

3) Major lineages: predators, parasites, herbivores

Infraorder: Eleutherengona

1) Highly specific, permanent ectoparasites of mammals

2) Modified first legs for clasping hair

3) tissue fluid feeders

1) Elongate ectoparasites in natural cavities in mammals (follicles, gland ducts etc.)

2) Found in many mammalian orders

3) Highly host-specific

1) Gnathosoma with rutella (sg. rutellum)

2) Ingestion of solid food

3) Early derivative taxa without metamorphosis, but last molt involves body reorganization

1) Life-cycle modification - loss of final metomorphosis.  Adult resembles tritonymph (paedomorphosys through neoteny)

2) Deutonymph modified for dispersal and/or parasitism: posterior attachment organ.  Often facultative.

3) Direct sperm transfer through male aedeagus (dimorphism)

1) Ancestrally associated with patchy/temporary habitats.  Dispersal via phorecy (ancestrally arthropods, later mammals and birds)

2) Ancestrally fungivorous or saprophytic

1) Phoresy by Deutonymphs

2) Ectoparasites as Adults

1) Phoresy by deutonymphs (nidicolous sp.)

2) Endoparasitism by Deutonymphs

3) Permanent Parasitism (almost always loose d.nymph)

1) Parasites ON skin

2) Parasites IN skin (Sarcoptidae)

3) Parasites on integumenary covering (fur, feathers etc.)

4) Endoparasites in respiratory tract

5) Reversal of Parasitic Habit (Pyroglyphidae)

1) Ancestrally parasites inside feather quills or on skins of birds

2) Feed on keratin (protein in skin and feathers)

3) Most members nidicolous (ex: Dust Mites)

Tagmata: Cephalothorax, Thorax, Abdomen

Appendages: Antennules, Antennae, Mandibles, maxillules, maxillae, (maxillipeds), pereiopods, pleopods, (uropods)

1) Females with paired external egg sacs

2) Many independent origins of parasitisim, but most with a free-living nauplius which seeks the host.

1) Multicellular, Triploblastic, Bilaterally Symmetrical

2) Lack coelom/circulatory system

3) But with anterior or ventral "mouth", muscular pharynx, simple or branched intesting ending blindly (no anus)

4) Excretory system with flame cells

5) Reproductive system: monoecious

1) Primarily Monoecious (some derived dioecious)

2) Male system with paired testes etc. in a muscular cirrus (ntromittent organ) ancestrally located posteriorally.

3) Female system with single ovary, scattered vitellaria, Mehlis' gland, ootype, and uterus.  Ancestrally possesed a terminal vagina leading to external enviornment.

Parasitism has evolved several times independently, but flukes and tapeworms share a common ancestor.

1) Rhabditophora - mainly free-living, but includes ectoparasites of invertebrates

2) Neodermata

1) Loss of larval ciliated epidermis when host is encountered.  

2) All possess a cercomer at some stage.  

3) All are obligate parasites

1) Ancestral condition - Single Host

2) Heteroxenous (complex) life-cycle evolved independetly in Digenea and Euestoa

1) Trematoda: Ancestral hosts mollusks, likely originated when host mollusks were eaten by other 'hosts'

2) Eucestoda: ancestral hosts vertebrates, eggs excreted and eaten by arthropod etc.

1) Presence of cirrus pouch

2) Presence of cercomer

3) Ancestral vagina lost: vestigal organ: Laurer's canal

1) Very Large, subdivided ventral sucker (makes the worm look bumpy and segmented)

2) Simple Gut

3) Reproductive system unmodified

4) Most monoxenous - hosts mollusks/bivalves

5) Life-cycle with cotylocidium larva

1) Bifurcated intestine

2) Ancesrally 2 testes, 1 ovary, but shapes variable

3) Cercomer variously modified (mostly locations 1-2 suckers)

4) Unique life-cycle modifications (including asexual reproduction by pre-adults) lead to complex life-cycles

1) Egg

2) Miracidium

3) Sporocyst

4) Redia

5) Cercariae

6) Metacercariae

7) Adult

1) Dioecious - Male with gyneocophoric canal

2) Life-cycle with 2 sporocyst generations - No redia.  Cercariae seek definitive host directly.  Schistosomula migrates to liver and matures.  Adults migrate to final site.

1) Prevent eggs in urine/feces from contacting water (sanitation)

2) Control snail populations with molluscicides

3) Prevent contact between cerceria and humans (boots!)

4) Treatment of human patients

1) Most primitive Eucestodes

2) Typically only 2 hosts: definitive in catfish/minnow families

1) Most highly-derived group of Eucestodes

2) Most taxa no longer lay eggs, but drop mature proglottids full with eggs and are eliminated by the host.  Eggs are released into the external enviornment when dried segment degenerates.