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.
This article about a mite or tick is a stub.