Abstract
Investigations on the occurrence of parasitic and predaceous mites were carried out on farms of domesticated Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) with two rearing systems (battery cage and deep litter) to throw some light on the acarofauna that are in close association with man, aiming to control the parasitic ones. A total of 19 mite species belong to 15 families and three suborders (Mesostigmata, Prostigmata and Astigmata) were recorded in the two examined rearing systems. The mite fauna was dominated by the family Macrochelidae; of which, Macrochelus mascadomesticae (Scopoli) was the most abundant, dominant and frequent species (D = 39.8%) of all mites recorded. Species of the family Acaridae, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Shrank) was numerically dominant among astigmatic mites (D = 30.5%). Greatest infestation levels were found in the farms which used deep litter systems.