The Astigmatina are a "cohort" of mite

Mite

Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology.-Diversity and systematics:...

s. They belong to the Sarcoptiformes

Sarcoptiformes

Sarcoptiformes is an order of Acari....

, which contain the "biting" Acariformes

Acariformes

The Acariformes are the more diverse of the two superorders of mites. There are over 32,000 described species in 351 families, and an estimated total of 440,000 to 929,000, including undescribed species.-Systematics and taxonomy:...

. Many species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 are parasites of vertebrate

Vertebrate

Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...

s. Most notorious among these are the Psoroptidia

Psoroptidia

Psoroptidia is a suborder of the Acari group Astigmatina. It comprises around 40 families, and apparently originated as parasites of birds, before a secondary radiation saw some taxa become parasites of mammals...

, which contain such notable taxa as feather mite

Feather mite

Feather mites are the members of diverse mite superfamilies:* superorder Acariformes** Psoroptidia*** Analgoidea*** Freyanoidea*** Pterolichoidea* superorder Parasitiformes** DermanyssoideaThey are ectoparasites on birds, hence the common name....

s and Sarcoptes scabiei

Sarcoptes scabiei

Sarcoptes scabiei or the itch mite is a parasitic arthropod that burrows into skin and causes scabies. Animals affected include not only human but also wild and domesticated dogs and cats in which it is one cause of mange...

.

The Astigmata are of unclear relationships to those mites commonly united as Oribatida

Oribatida

Oribatida , also known as moss mites or beetle mites, are an order of mites, in the "chewing Acariformes" clade Sarcoptiformes. They range in size from ....

. The latter appear to be paraphyletic and in need of division into two orders, as some of them (e.g. certain Desmonomata) seem closer to Astigmata than to other Oribatida.

Taxonomy

Acaridia (> 400 genera, > 1300 species)

• Schizoglyphoidea (2 genera, 2 species)
• Schizoglyphidae

• Histiostomatoidea (c. 60 genera, > 200 species)
• Histiostomatidae
  Histiostomatidae
  The Histiostomatidae is a subgroup of the astigmatid mites and branches basically in a phylogenetic tree of the Astigmata.These mites are characterized by a very small size and a close association to arthropodes, mainly insects. A morphologically specialized instar, the deutonymph , is adapted to...
  
  
• Guanolichidae

• Canestrinioidea (> 100 genera, > 300 species)
• Chetochelacaridae
• Lophonotacaridae
• Canestriniidae
• Heterocoptidae

• Hemisarcoptoidea (50 genera, > 200 species)
• Chaetodactylidae
• Hyadesiidae
• Carpoglyphidae
• Algophagidae
• Hemisarcoptidae
• Winterschmidtiidae

• Glycyphagoidea (> 70 genera, > 150 species)
• Euglycyphagidae
• Chortoglyphidae
• Pedetropodidae
• Echimyopodidae
• Aeroglyphidae
• Rosensteiniidae
• Glycyphagidae

• Acaroidea (> 120 genera, > 400 species)
• Sapracaridae
• Suidasiidae
• Lardoglyphidae
• Glycacaridae
• Gaudiellidae
• Acaridae
  Acaridae
  The Acaridae are a family of mites. Common forms include some mold mites, for example the grain mite. Genera in the family include:Fagacarinae Fain & R. A. Norton, 1979* Fagacarus Fain & R. A...
  
   (> 100 genera, > 400 species)

• Hypoderoidea
• Hypoderidae

Psoroptidia

Psoroptidia

Psoroptidia is a suborder of the Acari group Astigmatina. It comprises around 40 families, and apparently originated as parasites of birds, before a secondary radiation saw some taxa become parasites of mammals...

 (> 600 genera, > 2,000 species)

• Pterolichoidea (> 200 genera, > 500 species)
• Oconnoriidae
• Ptiloxenidae
• Pterolichidae (> 100 genera, c. 300 species)
• Cheylabididae
• Ochrolichidae
• Gabuciniidae
• Falculiferidae
• Eustathiidae
• Crypturoptidae
• Thoracosathesidae
• Rectijanuidae
• Ascouracaridae
• Syringobiidae
• Kiwilichidae
• Kramerellidae

• Freyanoidea (> 30 genera, c. 50 species)
• Freyanidae
• Vexillariidae
• Caudiferidae

• Analgoidea
  Analgoidea
  The Analgoidea are a superfamily of the Acarina order Sarcoptiformes. They contain many feather mites, being ectoparasites of birds and occasionally mammals....
  
   (> 200 genera, c. 700 species)
• Heteropsoridae
• Analgidae
• Xolalgidae
• Avenzoariidae
• Pteronyssidae
  Pteronyssidae
  The Pteronyssidae are a family of the Acarina order Sarcoptiformes. They contain many feather mites.-Selected genera:* Anephippius* Cleyastobius* Conomerus* Dicrurobius* Hyonyssus* Metapteronyssus* Micropteroherpus...
  
  
• Proctophyllodidae
  Proctophyllodidae
  The Proctophyllodidae are a family of the Acarina order Astigmata. They contain many feather mites. The Alloptidae and Trouessartiidae were in earlier times included here as subfamilies....
  
  
• Psoroptoididae
• Trouessartiidae
• Alloptidae
• Thysanocercidae
• Dermationidae
• Epidermoptidae
  Epidermoptidae
  Epidermoptidae is a family of acariform mites. They live as parasites on the skin of birds and mammals. They thrive in warm, damp areas of the skin ....
  
  
• Apionacaridae
• Dermoglyphidae
• Laminosioptidae
• Knemidokoptidae
• Cytoditidae

• Pyroglyphoidea (26 genera, > 50 species)
• Pyroglyphidae
  Pyroglyphidae
  Pyroglyphidae is a family of mites....
  
  
• Turbinoptidae

• Psoroptoidea (c. 160 genera, > 600 species)
• Psoroptidae
  Psoroptidae
  Psoroptidae is a family of mites....
  
  
• Galagalgidae
• Lobalgidae
• Myocoptidae
• Rhyncoptidae
• Audycoptidae
• Listrophoridae
• Chirodiscidae
• Atopomelidae
• Chirorhynchobiidae
• Gastronyssidae
  Gastronyssidae
  Gastronyssidae is a family of acariform mites which live as parasites on birds and mammals.-References:*...
  
  
• Lemurnyssidae
• Pneumocoptidae
• Sarcoptidae
  Sarcoptidae
  Sarcoptidae is a family of mites, of which the most prominent are in the Genus Sarcoptes. Sarcoptic mange is caused by digging mites in that genus....
  
  

• incertae sedis
  Incertae sedis
  , is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
  
  (16 genera, 17 species)
• Ptyssalgidae

• Ptyssalges major (Trouessart, 1887)
  • Psoralgidae

incertae sedis

Troglotacaridae

• Troglotacarus hauseri Fain, 1977