Mites
Guides
Sejidae
Sejidae is a family of mites within the order Mesostigmata. The group has a fossil record extending to the mid Cretaceous, with the oldest known specimen being an indeterminate deutonymph preserved in Burmese amber from Myanmar. As a family-level taxon, it encompasses multiple genera of predatory or free-living mites, though specific biological details for the family as a whole remain limited in available literature.
Sejus
Sejus is a genus of sejine mites in the family Sejidae, superfamily Sejoidea. The genus contains approximately 17 described species. Members of this genus exhibit a mixture of primitive and derived characters typical of the Sejoidea, including hypertrichy, a distinctive female sterno-genital region, and a phoretic deutonymph stage. Sejus species are generally distributed in warmer regions globally, though at least one species (S. americanus) extends into boreal zones.
Siro sonoma
Siro sonoma is a species of mite harvestman in the family Sironidae. It was originally described by Shear in 1980 and placed in the genus Siro. In 2022, the genus Arhesiro was erected to accommodate this species and Siro clousi, with S. sonoma becoming Arhesiro sonoma. As of 2023, taxonomic sources vary in their treatment, with some recognizing Arhesiro sonoma as the accepted name while others retain Siro sonoma. The species is known only from Sonoma County, California.
Smarididae
Smarididae is a family of large predatory mites in the order Trombidiformes. Members possess elongated oval bodies with a distinctive pointed anterior, dense setation, and often striking red coloration. The family includes exceptionally large species, with the Cretaceous fossil *Immensmaris chewbaccei* representing the largest known erythraeoid mite at over 8 mm in length. These active predators are part of the superfamily Erythraeoidea, characterized by their slender, sometimes elongated legs and reduced eye number (one or two pairs).
Stigmaeidae
Stigmaeidae is the largest family in the superfamily Raphignathoidea, comprising over 600 species of prostigmatan mites with worldwide distribution. The family exhibits diverse ecological strategies, with over a third of species being free-living predators on plant foliage, while others inhabit soil, leaf litter, freshwater surfaces, or act as parasites. Members possess distinctive morphological features including a prodorsum lacking transversal grooves or sacs, separate suranal and aggenital shields, and stout palps with prominent tibial claws. Several species have been investigated for biological control of agricultural pest mites.
Stygothrombidiidae
Stygothrombidiidae is a family of mites in the order Trombidiformes. Members are associated with subterranean freshwater habitats, particularly hyporheic zones and groundwater systems. The family is relatively small and poorly documented, with most known species placed in the genus Stygothrombium. These mites represent an example of adaptation to permanent darkness and interstitial aquatic environments.
Tanaupodidae
Tanaupodidae is a family of mites in the order Trombidiformes, suborder Parasitengona, considered to form one of the basal clades of this group. The family is considered enigmatic due to limited knowledge of its biology and diversity. Larvae of at least some genera are parasitic on arthropod hosts, including aphids and springtails. The family includes approximately 13 genera, with fossil records from Baltic amber indicating an ancient evolutionary history.
Tarsonemidae
thread-footed mites, white mites
Tarsonemidae is a family of mites in the order Trombidiformes, commonly known as thread-footed mites or white mites. The family exhibits diverse feeding habits: most species feed on fungal mycelia or algal bodies, while a limited number of genera (Steneotarsonemus, Polyphagotarsonemus, Phytonemus, Floridotarsonemus, and Tarsonemus) feed on higher plants. Some tarsonemids are associated with insects, including parasites of bees (Acarapis woodi), associates of leaf-footed bug glands, and attachments to grasshopper wings. Several species are significant agricultural pests, notably the broad mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) and cyclamen mite (Steneotarsonemus pallidus).
Tarsonemoidea
Tarsonemoidea is a superfamily of minute mites within the order Trombidiformes, comprising families such as Tarsonemidae and Podapolipidae. These mites are characterized by reduced body segmentation and often exhibit highly modified leg structures adapted for clinging to hosts or substrates. Many species are associated with plants, fungi, or insects, with some acting as agricultural pests while others serve as biological control agents.
Teneriffiidae
Teneriffiidae is a family of prostigmatic mites in the order Trombidiformes, first described by Thor in 1911. These are moderate-sized, fast-walking predatory mites with a life cycle consisting of egg, prelarva, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, tritonymph, and adult stages. Taxonomic revision has reduced the number of valid genera to two: Teneriffia (palpgenu oncophysis absent) and Parateneriffia (palpgenu oncophysis present), with seven other genera synonymized. The family occupies diverse terrestrial habitats including trees, rocks, caves, and mountains, with some species adapted to subterranean environments.
Tenuipalpidae
Flat mites, False spider mites
Tenuipalpidae, commonly known as flat mites or false spider mites, are a family of phytophagous mites in the order Trombidiformes. They are closely related to spider mites (Tetranychidae) but are distinguished by their dorsoventrally flattened bodies and reduced mobility. Members are typically reddish in color and slow-moving. Several species are significant agricultural pests, including Raoiella indica, Brevipalpus phoenicis, B. californicus, B. obovatus, and B. lewisi.
Tetranychidae
Spider Mites
Tetranychidae is a family of mites commonly known as spider mites, comprising approximately 1,200 described species. Members are minute plant-feeding arachnids, typically measuring less than 1 mm in length. They are distributed worldwide and are significant agricultural pests, causing damage to hundreds of plant species by piercing leaf cells and extracting contents. Many species produce silk webbing for protection and dispersal. The family is divided into two subfamilies: Bryobiinae and Tetranychinae.
Tetranychoidea
Spider Mites, Flat Mites, and Allies
Tetranychoidea is a superfamily of mites in the order Trombidiformes comprising approximately 2,200 described species across five families: Tetranychidae (spider mites), Tenuipalpidae (flat mites), Tuckerellidae (peacock mites), Linotetranidae (cryptic false spider mites), and Allochaetophoridae. Members are distinguished by a fused cheliceral base forming a stylophore, elongated stylet-like movable digits, and well-developed peritremes on the prodorsum. The superfamily is exclusively herbivorous, with many species being significant agricultural and ornamental plant pests.
Trachyuropodidae
Trachyuropodidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata, classified within the suborder Monogynaspida and infraorder Uropodina. The family contains genera such as Leonardiella, with species documented from European and Asian localities including Turkey. Members are found in association with woody vegetation, particularly oak and willow habitats. The group belongs to the diverse assemblage of soil-dwelling and litter-inhabiting mites that contribute to decomposition processes.
Trematuridae
Trematuridae is a family of soil-dwelling mites in the suborder Uropodina, characterized by a pear-shaped idiosoma and distinctive morphological features including dorsal shield notching and specialized cheliceral dentition. The family has a worldwide distribution with maximal diversity in tropical rain forests. Members have been documented in association with insect hosts, including the red palm weevil, and are studied for potential biological control applications. Reproductive behaviors including pre-ovipositional, ovipositional, and mating behaviors have been described for species such as Trichouropoda ovalis.
Trombellidae
Trombellidae is a family of prostigmatid mites within the superfamily Trombiculoidea. These mites are closely related to chiggers (Trombiculidae) and share the characteristic parasitic larval stage, though they are far less studied than their medically important relatives. The family is distinguished by particular morphological features of the larval gnathosoma and setation patterns. Adult trombellids are free-living predators, while larvae are ectoparasites of arthropods.
Trombiculidae
chiggers, harvest mites, berry bugs, red bugs, scrub-itch mites, aoutas
Trombiculidae is a family of mites commonly known as chiggers (North America) or harvest mites (Britain). The family includes species whose larvae are parasitic on vertebrates, including humans, causing skin irritation through a unique feeding mechanism. Only the larval stage is parasitic; nymphs and adults are free-living predators. Several species serve as vectors for scrub typhus in East Asia and the South Pacific. The family was formally established by Henry Ellsworth Ewing in 1944, though references to chiggers date back to sixth-century China.
Trombidiformes
Trombidiform Mites
Trombidiformes is a large, diverse order of mites within the subclass Acariformes, comprising approximately 25,821 described species across 151 families. The order is divided into two suborders: Sphaerolichida (two families) and Prostigmata (the majority, with four infraorders and 40 superfamilies). Members include medically significant species such as Demodex mites, chiggers (Trombiculidae), and scrub-itch mites, as well as agriculturally important groups like spider mites (Tetranychidae). The phylogenetic placement of the superfamily Eriophyoidea (gall mites) remains uncertain; recent molecular analyses suggest it may fall outside Trombidiformes, possibly related to Nematalycidae.
Trombidioidea
velvet mites
Trombidioidea is a superfamily of mites in the order Trombidiformes, commonly known as velvet mites. It comprises approximately 8 families and at least 430 described species, including the familiar true velvet mites (Trombidiidae) and chiggers (Trombiculidae). Members exhibit complex life cycles with dramatic morphological and ecological shifts between instars. The superfamily is characterized by large, often brightly colored adults and minute, parasitic larvae.
Trypogalumnella poronota
Trypogalumnella poronota is a species of oribatid mite in the family Galumnellidae, described by Mahunka in 1995. Oribatid mites of this family are soil-dwelling microarthropods, commonly known as beetle mites or moss mites. The species belongs to the superfamily Galumnoidea, characterized by specific morphological adaptations for life in soil and leaf litter environments. No observations of this species have been recorded in public databases.
Tydeidae
Tydeidae is a family of soft-bodied mites in the order Trombidiformes, containing over 300 species across three subfamilies. These small arachnids exhibit diverse feeding strategies including scavenging, fungivory, predation, and plant feeding. They are among the most commonly encountered mites in arboreal habitats worldwide, with some species playing significant roles in agriculture as both pests and beneficial organisms.
Typhlodromus
Typhlodromus is a genus of predatory mites in the family Phytoseiidae. The genus contains over 200 described species distributed across diverse geographic regions. Multiple species have been developed as commercial biological control agents for agricultural pest management.
Uropodella
Uropodella is a genus of mites in the family Uropodellidae, established by Berlese in 1888. The genus contains a single described species, Uropodella laciniata. These mites belong to the order Mesostigmata, a group of predatory or parasitic mites with diverse ecological roles.
Uropodellidae
Uropodellidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata, suborder Sejida. These mites belong to the superfamily Sejoidea. The family is small and poorly documented, with limited biological and ecological data available. Members are known from scattered records, and their taxonomy and natural history remain incompletely studied.
Uropodina
Uropodina is an infraorder of mites in the order Mesostigmata, characterized by morphologically variable forms with fused sternal and ventral shields, short legs with reduced setae, and stigmata positioned between the second and third leg pairs. Most species inhabit soil, forest litter, and decaying organic matter, where they function primarily as predators of small invertebrates. Many species exhibit phoresy during the deutonymph stage, attaching to insects and other arthropods for dispersal using a secreted elastic pedicel. Reproduction is predominantly sexual, though parthenogenesis occurs in some species with males rare or absent.
Uropodoidea
tortoise mites
Uropodoidea is a superfamily of tortoise mites (Mesostigmata) comprising over 2,000 described species worldwide. These mites are characterized by their phoretic associations with insects, particularly bark beetles (Scolytinae) and burying beetles (Nicrophorus), which they use for dispersal between patchy, ephemeral habitats. The superfamily exhibits diverse host relationships, with most species showing narrow host specificity, though some exhibit broader host ranges. Molecular and morphological studies have revealed that apparent host generalists are often complexes of cryptic specialist species.
Varroidae
Varroidae is a family of parasitic mites in the order Mesostigmata, containing the economically significant genus Varroa. Members are obligate ectoparasites of honey bees (Apis spp.), with Varroa destructor being the most destructive species affecting managed European honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies worldwide. These mites have a two-stage life cycle involving a phoretic traveling phase on adult bees and a reproductive phase within brood cells. The family has become a major focus of apicultural research due to the severe colony losses attributed to Varroa infestations, disease transmission, and the mites' role in honey bee population declines.
Veigaiidae
Veigaiidae is a family of free-living predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata. They inhabit soil and decaying organic matter, with some species specialized for rocky shorelines. The genus Veigaia is particularly widespread in the Holarctic Region.
Vidia
Vidia is a genus of mites in the family Winterschmidtiidae (subfamily Ensliniellinae), first described by Oudemans in 1905. These mites belong to the order Sarcoptiformes, a group that includes many astigmatid mites associated with various habitats and hosts. The genus is part of the diverse mite fauna within the Acariformes subclass. Very few observations of this genus have been recorded in biodiversity databases.
Winterschmidtiidae
Winterschmidtiidae is a family of over 140 mite species in the order Astigmata, distributed worldwide. The family comprises four subfamilies with distinct ecological specializations: Ensliniellinae associated with Hymenoptera (especially wasps and bees), Winterschmidtiinae with wood-boring beetles, Saproglyphinae with decaying materials and fungi, and Oulenziinae with leaves, vertebrate nests, and stored foods. Many species exhibit complex life cycles synchronized with insect hosts, including phoretic deutonymphs for dispersal and seasonal polymorphisms for environmental resistance.
Zerconidae
Zerconidae is a family of mesostigmatid mites found primarily in soil and litter habitats across the Northern Hemisphere. The family includes approximately 20 genera and numerous species, with documented occurrences in North America, Europe, Turkey, and other regions. These mites have been collected from diverse habitats including boreal forests, temperate woodlands, reforested areas, felled sites, and forest canopies. Several genera are recognized, including Zercon, Prozercon, Mixozercon, Boreozercon, and Halozercon.
Zygoribatula
Zygoribatula is a genus of oribatid mites in the family Oribatulidae. These small arachnids are part of the diverse soil-dwelling mite fauna. The genus was established by Berlese in 1916. Records indicate presence in Denmark and Norway, though the genus likely has broader distribution in suitable habitats.