Psoroptes spp. (Infection with)

Psoroptes spp. of mites cause psoroptic mange in several different animal species. The mites are problematic in domestic animals, especially sheep, though they do not cause significant disease in wildlife. It was previously thought that there were several species of these astigmatid mites afflicting specific animal species. For example, P. equi was thought to infest horses, and P. cuniculi infested rabbits. However, this classification is debatable. It is currently thought that there may only be two species of Psoroptes: P. ovis, which afflicts animals’ bodies, and P. cuniculi, which infests animals’ ears.