An update on the knowledge about scutacarid mites as phoronts and inquilines

Abstract

Scutacarid mites are known to be associated with various other animal taxa, either as inquilines or as phoronts (or both). The present publication is an update of a review article about inquilinism and phoresy in Scutacaridae from 2018, and it deals with the respective literature from 2017 to 2023. Seventeen new scutacarid species associated with other animals have been described in the respective timespan, seven other species have been newly reported as phoretic and several new host species for scutacarids have been encountered. Whenever possible, attachment sites of the mites, behavioural observations and/or remarks about the presumed habitat of hosts and mites are given.