Infestation of sheep with the stored product mite Sancassania berlesei (Acaridae)

A sheep reared outdoors in Victoria was found to be heavily infested with a stored product mite, Sancassania berlesei (Acaridae), apparently subsequent to an earlier flystrike. Laboratory observation revealed the infestation to be self-sustaining. Shearing rapidly resolved the infestation but treatment with diazinon was ineffective. The infestation could be transferred to other sheep only in the presence of moisture; once established it caused an extensive skin lesion with considerable fluid loss, apparently contributing to the death of one animal. This lesion was extremely attractive to blowflies. Animals infested with mites showed few signs of irritation.