''Myobia musculi'' is a type of fur

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

which is found worldwide. It can infest

mice A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

and, rarely, other

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

s. Like all mites the ''Myobia musculi'' mite has four pairs of legs but the first pair are very short, as an

adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...

to grasping the hair shaft, giving the mite the appearance of having three pairs of legs. The second pair of legs end in empodia (claw-like structures). Adult mites are approximately 160–180 μm wide; females are 400–500 μm long, and males are 280–320 μm long. The lifecycle of ''M. musculi'' takes 23 days. Eggs are laid on a hair shaft, so hairless mice cannot become infested. The mites are generally found on the head, neck and shoulders of the mouse.

References

Trombidiformes Animals described in 1781 Taxa named by Franz von Paula Schrank {{Trombidiformes-stub