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iParasitiformes
Image:Tick 2 (aka).jpg A tick of the species Ixodes ricinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Acari Suborder: Parasitiformes
Superfamilies
Ixodoidea Ixodidae (Hard ticks) Argasidae (Soft ticks) Nuttalliellidae Holothyrida Allothyridae Holothyridae Neothyridae Mesostigmata over 65 families

The Parasitiformes are a suborder of Acari. Many species are parasitic (most famous of which are ticks), but not all; for example, many are predatory and live in the soil-litter. Others, like the phytoseiids are used for biological control.

The phylogenetic position of mites is rather disputed. Mites are sometimes considered a subclass of arachnids, in which case the Parasitiformes are a superorder or an order.

There are over 11,000 described species of Parasitiformes.