Deutonymph-dormancy
Guides
Parasitidae
predatory mites, bee mites, beetle mites
Parasitidae is a family of predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata, representing the sole family in the superfamily Parasitoidea. These mites are relatively large for their group, often appearing yellowish to dark brown in color. The family has worldwide distribution and contains approximately 400 species across 29 genera organized into two subfamilies: Pergamasinae (soil-dwelling, non-phoretic) and Parasitinae (nest-dwelling, phoretic deutonymphs). Members prey on diverse microarthropods and nematodes, with individual species typically exhibiting narrower prey ranges than the family as a whole.