Predatory-mite
Guides
Adamystidae
Adamystidae is a family of predatory soil mites in the order Trombidiformes, comprising the sole family of the monotypic superfamily Adamystoidea. The family contains at least three genera: the extant Adamystis and Nannodromus, and the extinct †Saxidromus. These mites are edaphic, inhabiting soil and leaf litter, and are characterized by specific morphological features of the propodosoma and idiosoma that distinguish them from related anystine mites.
Amblyseius
Amblyseius is a large genus of predatory mites in the family Phytoseiidae. Species in this genus are generalist predators that feed on pest mites, thrips, whiteflies, and other small arthropods. Several species, particularly A. swirskii and A. andersoni, are widely used as biological control agents in integrated pest management programs for agricultural crops. The genus exhibits considerable ecological versatility, with many species capable of surviving on alternative food sources such as pollen and fungal secretions when prey is scarce.
Amblyseius andersoni
Amblyseius andersoni is a generalist predatory mite in the family Phytoseiidae, widely distributed across Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. It is commercially available and employed as a biological control agent against spider mites, eriophyid mites, and other small arthropod pests in orchards, greenhouses, and open-field crops. The species exhibits broad dietary flexibility, feeding on plant-feeding mites, thrips, whiteflies, and various pollens. Laboratory studies demonstrate that it can be mass-reared on alternative diets such as cattail pollen and the stored product mite Carpoglyphus lactis without loss of predatory efficiency on natural prey.
predatory-mitebiological-controlgeneralist-predatorintegrated-pest-managementspider-mite-controleriophyid-mite-controlorchard-pest-managementgreenhouse-biocontrolmass-rearingpollen-feedingalternative-diettemperature-dependent-developmentPhytoseiidaeAcariEuropeNorth-AmericaChinaapplecitrusconiferous-plantsAmblyseius swirskii
Swirski mite
Amblyseius swirskii is a predatory mite in the family Phytoseiidae, originally described from almond trees in Israel in 1962. It has become one of the most widely used biological control agents globally, commercially available and released in more than 50 countries. The species is a generalist predator feeding on whiteflies, thrips, spider mites, broad mites, and other small arthropod pests of vegetable and ornamental crops. It can also survive and reproduce on non-prey food sources including pollen, nectar, and plant secretions, which enhances its establishment when prey are scarce.
Anystis
Whirligig Mites
Anystis is a genus of predatory mites in the family Anystidae, commonly known as whirligig mites. Species in this genus are generalist predators of small arthropods, including mites, aphids, thrips, and other soft-bodied insects. They are frequently red in coloration with long legs, ranging from 500–1500 μm in size. The genus has gained attention for biological control applications, particularly Anystis baccarum, which has been documented in agricultural systems including apple orchards, raspberry crops, vineyards, and greenhouses.
Anystis baccarum
Whirligig mite
Anystis baccarum is a cosmopolitan predatory mite in the family Anystidae, commonly known as the whirligig mite. It is a generalist predator of small, soft-bodied arthropods including aphids, spider mites, thrips, and other pests in agricultural systems. Populations consist entirely of females that reproduce by thelytokous parthenogenesis. The species has been identified as a promising biological control agent in crops such as raspberry, apple, sweet pepper, and tea, though its cannibalistic tendencies and long generation time limit its effectiveness as a sole control method.
Bdellodes
Bdellodes is a genus of predatory mites in the family Bdellidae. The genus includes Bdellodes lapidaria, a species native to Australia that has been introduced to South Africa as a biological control agent against the lucerne flea (Sminthurus viridis), a pest of pasture legumes.
Callidosoma
Callidosoma is a genus of mites in the family Erythraeidae, subfamily Callidosomatinae. Members are classified within the superfamily Erythraeoidea, a group of predatory mites commonly known as velvet mites or rain mites. The genus was established by Womersley in 1936 and is distributed across multiple continents. Erythraeid mites are generally characterized by their soft, often brightly colored bodies and active predatory habits.
Clypeosoma
Clypeosoma is a genus of mites in the family Smarididae, order Trombidiformes. Smarididae are predatory mites commonly known as velvet mites due to their dense setae. The genus is poorly documented with minimal published research and only one observation recorded on iNaturalist. Its members are likely active predators in soil and leaf litter habitats.
Cunaxidae
cunaxid mites, snout mites
Cunaxidae is a family of predatory mites in the order Trombidiformes, commonly known as snout mites due to their prominent gnathosoma. The family contains at least 20 genera and over 390 described species, with some estimates exceeding 450 species across 32 genera. These mites occupy diverse terrestrial habitats worldwide except Antarctica, where they function as opportunistic predators of small arthropods and other microfauna. They exhibit two distinct foraging strategies: ambush predation and active cursorial hunting.
Erythraeus tonsus
Erythraeus tonsus is a species of predatory mite in the family Erythraeidae, first described by L. Koch in 1879. Like other erythraeid mites, it belongs to a group of active, fast-moving predators found in terrestrial habitats. The species has been recorded across Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. Erythraeid mites are generally recognized for their elongated body form and long legs adapted for cursorial (running) locomotion.
Fuscuropoda
uropodid mite
Fuscuropoda is a genus of predatory mites in the family Dinychidae (order Mesostigmata). The best-known species, Fuscuropoda vegetans, serves as a biological control agent in poultry facilities, where it preys on early-stage house fly larvae in manure. These mites occur naturally in most poultry operations and contribute to integrated pest management programs targeting fly populations.
Microtrombidiinae
Microtrombidiinae is a subfamily of mites within the family Microtrombidiidae, order Trombidiformes. Members are classified within the Parasitengona, a group characterized by complex life cycles involving parasitic larval stages and predatory or free-living post-larval stages. These mites are generally small to medium-sized with bright coloration, often red or orange. The subfamily was established by Thor in 1935 and contains multiple genera distributed across various regions.
Neomolgus
snout mites
Neomolgus is a genus of predatory snout mites in the family Bdellidae, containing more than 20 described species. Members are recognized by their elongated snout-like rostrum used in prey capture. Several species have been investigated or employed as biological control agents against collembolan pests, particularly Sminthurus viridis (lucerne flea). The genus exhibits cool-humid habitat preferences and temperature-dependent developmental rates.
Parateneriffia
Parateneriffia is a genus of prostigmatic mites in the family Teneriffiidae, established by Thor in 1911. These mites belong to the superfamily Anystoidea, a group of predatory mites. The genus is rarely encountered, with only three observations recorded in iNaturalist as of the source date. Members of this genus are part of the diverse soil and litter mite fauna.
Stratiolaelaps
Stratiolaelaps is a genus of predatory mites in the family Laelapidae, with at least nine described species. The genus is best known from Stratiolaelaps scimitus, a polyphagous soil-dwelling predator native to the Northern Hemisphere that has been commercialized globally as a biological control agent. Members of this genus inhabit soil, litter, and rhizosphere environments where they prey on small invertebrates including fungus gnat larvae, thrips pupae, nematodes, and other mites. The genus exhibits haplodiploid sex determination and has been subject to extensive study regarding mass rearing, genetic management, and behavioral responses to chemical cues.
Typhlodromus occidentalis
Typhlodromus occidentalis is a phytoseiid mite species specialized as an oligophagous predator of spider mites, particularly the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). Laboratory studies indicate it has an obligate feeding requirement during the larval stage—all larvae die without prey. The species exhibits distinctive behavioral patterns including high larval walking activity compared to related species, but the lowest deutonymphal activity among studied phytoseiids. Formerly classified under the genera Metaseiulus and Galendromus, this species has been subject to taxonomic revision. Its life history traits differ from polyphagous phytoseiid species, with longer larval stages and shorter deutonymphal stages.
Zetzellia
Zetzellia is a genus of predatory mites in the family Stigmaeidae (Acari: Prostigmata). The best-studied species, Zetzellia mali, serves as a biological control agent of phytophagous mites in apple orchards. Members of this genus exhibit arrhenotokous parthenogenesis, with unmated females producing only male offspring. Development rates and reproductive output vary with temperature and humidity conditions.
Zetzellia mali
apple mite, Zetzellia mite
Zetzellia mali is a predatory mite in the family Stigmaeidae, widely distributed across apple-growing regions of the world. This small arachnid serves as an important natural enemy of phytophagous mites in orchards, particularly targeting spider mites (Tetranychidae) and eriophyid mites. The species exhibits a three-generation annual life cycle in temperate climates, with adult females overwintering in protected locations on host trees. While less efficient at population regulation than some competing predatory mites such as phytoseiids, Z. mali contributes significantly to biological control in integrated pest management programs.