exoparasites
Surface-dwelling parasitic organisms
Exoparasites are parasites that live on the exterior of their host rather than inside the body.
Fleas, ticks, lice, and mites are common exoparasites of animals and humans.
The term is interchangeable with ectoparasites, though ectoparasite is more common in scientific literature.
The veterinarian checked the dog for exoparasites.
Parasites or clock sounds
- fleasBiting insect parasites
- liceBloodsucking scalp insects
- mitesMinuscule parasitic arachnids
- mosquitoesBlood-drinking flying insects
bedbugs · leeches · chiggers · botfly · sandflies · horseflies · tsetse fly · deer fly
One receiving guests
- attachmentConnection or fondness
- bloodsuckingExtracting blood for nourishment
- feedingGiving food to
- skinBody's outer layer
itching · dermatitis · irritation · anemia · infestation · pediculosis · scabies · mange
Quantity with direction
- vector-borneSpread by organism intermediaries
- transmissionSending of information
- malariaMosquito-borne parasitic infection
- Lyme diseaseTick-transmitted bacterial infection
typhus · plague · sleeping sickness · leishmaniasis · West Nile · Zika · pathogen · infection
Reciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- lifecycleStages from beginning to end
- obligateCommit by necessity
- facultativeCapable but not obligated
grooming behavior · antiparasitic · resistance · immune response · biodiversity · ecosystem
ticks
Parasites or clock sounds
mosquitoes · bedbugs · leeches · chiggers · botfly · sandflies · horseflies · tsetse fly · deer fly · blackflies
host
One receiving guests
- attachmentConnection or fondness
- bloodsuckingExtracting blood for nourishment
- feedingGiving food to
skin · itching · dermatitis · irritation · anemia · infestation · pediculosis · scabies · mange · bites
vector
Quantity with direction
- vector-borneSpread by organism intermediaries
- transmissionSending of information
- malariaMosquito-borne parasitic infection
Lyme disease · typhus · plague · sleeping sickness · leishmaniasis · West Nile · Zika · pathogen · infection · epidemic
coevolution
Reciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- lifecycleStages from beginning to end
- obligateCommit by necessity
facultative · grooming behavior · antiparasitic · resistance · immune response · biodiversity · ecosystem
exoparasitesmutualists
Species benefiting each other
symbionts · commensals · probiotics · hosts · beneficial bacteria