mite

mite

Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites are not a defined taxon, but the name is used for members of several groups of the class Arachnida. Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic evidence suggests are not closely related. The Parasitiformes include ticks, which are sometimes semantically distinguished from mites. Most mites are tiny, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) in length, and have a simple, unsegmented body plan. The small size of most species makes them easily overlooked; some species live in water, many live in soil as decomposers, others live on plants, sometimes creating galls, while others again are predators or parasites. This last type includes the commercially important Varroa parasite of honey bees, as well as scabies mites of humans. Most species are harmless to humans but a few are associated with allergies or may transmit diseases. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of mites is called acarology.

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