Gnathosoma
Appearance
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Ixodes_hexagonus_%28aka%29.jpg/220px-Ixodes_hexagonus_%28aka%29.jpg)
The gnathosoma (from Greek γνάθος, gnáthos = "jaw" and σώμα, sóma = "body") is the part of the body of the Acari (mites and ticks) comprising the mouth and feeding parts.[1] These are the hypostome, the chelicerae and the pedipalps.[2] It is also called the capitulum[3] (however, this word also has other meanings). It is separated from the main body of the animal (the idiosoma) by a flexible section of the cuticle called the circumcapitular furrow[3] or circumcapitular suture.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Acarid :: External Features". Britannica Online Library Edition. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ "Ixodes ricinus: Taxonomy". Natural History Museum. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ a b Carruthers, Liza. "mite". Internet Encyclopedia of Science. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ Walter, David Evans, Gerald Krantz, and Evert Lindquist. 1996. Acari. The Mites. Version 13 December 1996. in Tree of Life Web Project.