Morphological and life-cycle aspects of the parasitic mite Trichosurolaelaps crassipes Womersley, 1956 of trichosurid posSums

Abstract

All four life-cycle stages of the ubiquitous parasitic possum mite Trichosuroluelups crussipes Womersley, 1956 are illustrated. They comprise the ephemeral, quiescent and nonfeeding larva, an active feeding protonymph, an active feeding deutonymph and the adults. Morphological adaptations with viviparity allow the entire life-cycle of the mite to be completed on the host. The lack of a nidicolous egg or larva and the absence of a quiescent deutonymph implies transmission is via host-host contact.