Ectoparasites:

Ectoparasites are a taxonomically diverse group of organisms that

infest the skin of human beings and other animals. Ectoparasitic arthropods
and nematodes are similar in that an individual organism can produce skin
lesions that are large enough to see with the unaided eye.
These are the examples of ectoparasites:

Flea:
Fleas are parasites that live on the exterior of the host (i.e., are
ectoparasitic).
Host:
They are not host specific but mostly the preffered hosts are cats , dogs
and sometimes even human.
Habitat:
Fleas can live on any warm-blooded animal, but seem to prefer to live on
humans, cats, dogs, opossums, rats and other rodents. They can also be found
on shoes, pant legs, or blankets
Symptoms:
1. It is extremely itchy.
2. A red, swollen weal develops within half an hour of the bite.
3. After a day or so, the weal (lump) may develop into a blister or small
wound.
4. The legs and feet are often targeted.
Physical appearance:
Fleas are small, wingless parasites with thin bodies that range from brown to
reddish-brown in color.
Lice:
Lice are insect ectoparasites. Their bites are very itchy to the hosts leading to
scratching and inflammation.
Host:
Bloodsucking lice are parasites of mammals, whereas chewing lice infest both
mammals and birds.
Habitat:
Head lice prefer to live on the hair of the head although they have been known to
wander to other parts of the body. Body lice tend to aggregate where clothing
most frequently touches the skin.
Symptoms:
The most common symptom of head lice is itching on the scalp, neck and ears.
Physical appearance:
The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has 6 legs (each with claws),
and is tan to grayish-white
Mites:
Tiny animal that is related to and resembles the spider and often lives as a
parasite on plants and other animals
Host:
All species of mites preferred female mosquitoes as the host. The mites are
believed to feed on skin and secretions. The entire life cycle (10-17 days for
human-infesting scabies mites) is spent on their host.
Habitat:
Mites either live in the host’s nest or on the host itself. Some species such as
scabies and chigger mites may bury themselves under human skin. Mites that
commonly affect humans often live in carpets, furniture, and mattresses.
Symptoms
Scabies is caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin. Scabies is an itchy skin
rash caused by a tiny burrowing mite called Sarcoptes scabiei.
Physical appearance:
They have jointed bodies, jointed legs, and an outer skeleton. Adults have four
pairs of legs although some only have three pairs of legs until they mature.