BackgroundSarcoptic mange is one of the main parasitic diseases affecting the Iberian ibexCapra pyrenaica. Scabietic animals suffer a decline in body condition and reproductive fitness and in severe cases may die. Although several previous studies of the pathology of this disease and the physiological changes it produces in ibex have been carried out in recent years, our knowledge of the relationship betweenSarcoptes scabieiand other ectoparasites of this host is still limited.MethodsWe analysed 430 Iberian ibex skin samples. Ectoparasites were removed, counted and identified. Mite (S. scabiei) numbers were obtained after digesting the skin samples in a 5% KOH solution. We modelled mite numbers in terms of host sex and age, site, year, season and the presence of other ectoparasites such as ticks and lice using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and ectoparasite co-occurrence patterns using two different models: the probabilistic model species co-occurrence and the generalized linear latent variable model (GLLVM).ResultsThe ectoparasite community was mainly composed ofS. scabiei, six ticks (Haemaphysalis sulcata,Haemaphysalis punctata,Rhipicephalus bursa,Rhipicephalus turanicus,Dermacentor marginatusandIxodes ricinus) and two lice (Bovicola crassipesandLinognathus stenopsis). Adult male ibex harboured more mites than females. Mite numbers varied greatly spatially and seasonally and increased with the presence of other parasites. Some positive co-occurrence relationships between pairs of different ectoparasites were observed, particularly between ticks. The presence ofS. scabieinegatively affected lice andH. sulcatanumbers.ConclusionsSarcoptic mange has spread above all in ibex populations in and around the Mediterranean Basin, where it is now found in almost a third of its host’s range. Mite numbers varied seasonally and spatially and were higher in male hosts. The presence ofS. scabieihad a negative effect on lice numbers but favoured the presence of ticks.Graphical AbstractSupplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-023-05797-y.