Predatory-mites
Guides
Allothrombium
Sumo Mites
Allothrombium is a genus of velvet mites (family Trombidiidae) comprising approximately 45 described species distributed across the Palaearctic, Ethiopian, Australian, Oriental, and Nearctic realms. Species in this genus exhibit complex life cycles involving parasitic larvae and predatory post-larval stages. Larvae are ectoparasites primarily of aphids, while deutonymphs and adults are free-living predators of small arthropods and their eggs. Several species have been investigated as potential biological control agents for agricultural pest aphids.
Anystina
Anystina is an infraorder of mites within the suborder Prostigmata (Trombidiformes). This group includes several families of relatively active, often predatory mites. Members are characterized by features of the gnathosoma and leg chaetotaxy that distinguish them from other prostigmatan lineages. The infraorder encompasses taxa such as Anystidae and related families, many of which occupy soil, leaf litter, and vegetation habitats.
Anystinae
Anystinae is a subfamily of prostigmatic mites in the family Anystidae. These fast-moving mites are commonly known as whirligig mites due to their rapid, erratic movement patterns. Members of this subfamily are primarily predatory and are frequently observed in terrestrial habitats. The subfamily includes the well-known genus *Anystis*, which contains species that are commercially used for biological pest control.
Ascidae
Ascidae is a family of predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata. Members occupy diverse habitats including soil, litter, bark, and freshwater margins. Many species are phoretic, dispersing on larger arthropods such as beetles and flies. The family was historically broader, with Blattisociidae and Melicharidae now treated as separate families based on morphological distinctions.
Balaustiinae
Balaustiinae is a subfamily of mites in the family Erythraeidae, within the order Trombidiformes. Members are predatory erythraeoid mites characterized by specific morphological features in their leg chaetotaxy and body setation patterns. The subfamily was established by Grandjean in 1947 and contains multiple genera distributed across various terrestrial habitats.
Bdellidae
Snout Mites
Bdellidae is a family of moderate to large-sized predatory mites commonly known as snout mites. The family contains approximately 11 genera and at least 278 described species worldwide. They are distinguished by their elongated, snout-like gnathosoma and elbowed pedipalps bearing two long terminal setae (one in the genus Monotrichobdella). Members inhabit diverse environments including soil, leaf litter, vegetation, and intertidal zones.
Blattisociidae
Blattisociidae is a family of predatory and fungivorous mites in the order Mesostigmata, historically grouped with Ascidae and Melicharidae due to morphological similarity. The family contains approximately 14 genera and occurs in diverse habitats including soil, stored products, insect nests, flowers, and fungi. Many species engage in phoresis, attaching to insects and other animals for dispersal. Several species have been investigated as potential biological control agents of pest mites and insects.
Charletonia
Charletonia is a genus of erythraeid mites comprising approximately 86 described species based on larval morphology. The genus is globally distributed and comprises ectoparasitic mites whose larvae attach to arthropod hosts. Adult and nymphal stages are active predators, though less frequently encountered than the distinctive larval form. The genus was established by Oudemans in 1910 and belongs to the family Erythraeidae within the order Trombidiformes.
Cheiroseius
Cheiroseius is a genus of predatory mites in the family Blattisociidae (formerly placed in Ascidae), representing the second largest genus in this family. The genus contains approximately 80 described species distributed across multiple continents. Species have been documented from wet habitats including leaf litter and aquatic vegetation, with some species associated with mosquito larvae.
Cheyletidae
Cheyletid mites
Cheyletidae is a family of predatory and parasitic mites in the order Trombidiformes. Some species, notably in the genus Cheyletiella, are ectoparasites of mammals and birds causing cheyletiellosis ("walking dandruff"). Most species are free-living predators found in diverse habitats including soil, forest litter, animal nests, house dust, under bark, and on foliage. They feed on other mites, nematodes, and small arthropods. Several species have been evaluated as biological control agents for agricultural and stored-product pests.
Cunaxoidinae
Cunaxoidinae is a subfamily of predatory mites in the family Cunaxidae (Acari: Prostigmata). The Philippine fauna comprises 21 species. Members occupy diverse microhabitats including leaf litter, bark, organic debris, ant and termite nests, and coconut foliage. The subfamily includes genera such as Lupaeus and Scutopalus.
Dactyloscirus
Dactyloscirus is a genus of predatory mites in the family Cunaxidae, first described by Berlese in 1916. These mites belong to the order Trombidiformes, a diverse group of arachnids commonly known as prostigmatid mites. Members of this genus are characterized by their distinctive leg morphology, with the genus name referencing finger-like or dactylous structures. Cunaxid mites, including Dactyloscirus, are primarily known as predators of small arthropods and are found in soil and litter habitats.
Erythraxus
Erythraxus is a genus of mites in the family Erythraeidae, established by Southcott in 1961. These mites belong to the order Trombidiformes, a diverse group of arachnids commonly known as "true mites." Members of the family Erythraeidae are typically predatory in their active post-larval stages, though specific details about Erythraxus biology remain poorly documented. The genus is rarely encountered in scientific literature and field observations.
Eviphidoidea
Eviphidoidea is a superfamily of mites within the order Mesostigmata. These mites are primarily free-living predators or scavengers in soil and litter habitats. The group includes several families of gamasid mites that are morphologically distinguished by particular features of the gnathosoma and leg chaetotaxy. They are ecologically significant as components of soil microarthropod communities.
Lasioerythraeus
Lasioerythraeus is a genus of mites in the family Erythraeidae, described by Welbourn and Young in 1987. The genus belongs to the subfamily Erythraeinae within the superfamily Erythraeoidea. Members of this genus are predatory mites in the order Trombidiformes. The genus has been documented in iNaturalist with 59 observations, indicating it is encountered with moderate frequency by naturalists.
Leptinae
Leptinae is a subfamily of mites in the family Erythraeidae, order Trombidiformes. These are prostigmatid mites, a group that includes many predatory and parasitic species. The subfamily was established by Billberg in 1820 and contains genera characterized by elongated body forms. Members of this subfamily are found across multiple continents, with over 3,000 observations recorded on iNaturalist.
Macrochelidae
Macrochelidae is a cosmopolitan family of predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata. The family is primarily associated with ephemeral, nutrient-rich habitats such as animal dung, where they prey on nematodes, oligochaete worms, and arthropod eggs. Phoresy on flying insects—particularly dung beetles and flies—enables dispersal between temporary resource patches. Some species have been developed as biological control agents for pest management.
Mesostigmata
Mesostigs
Mesostigmata is the largest order of mites in the Parasitiformes, comprising over 8,000 species in 130 families. The group exhibits remarkable ecological diversity, including free-living predators in soil and litter, parasites of vertebrates and arthropods, fungus feeders, and pollen consumers. Many species serve as important biological control agents in agricultural systems, while others such as Varroa destructor are significant economic pests of honey bees. The order is distinguished morphologically by a single pair of lateral spiracles and associated peritrematal grooves.
Microcheyla
Microcheyla is a genus of mites in the family Cheyletidae, described by Volgin in 1966. Members of this genus belong to the tribe Bakini within the subfamily Cheyletinae. Cheyletid mites are generally small, free-living or predatory arachnids characterized by their enlarged, raptorial palps. The genus is part of the diverse prostigmatan mite fauna, though specific ecological and biological details for Microcheyla remain poorly documented in available literature.
Oxidae
Oxidae is a small family of prostigmatan mites in the order Trombidiformes, established by Viets in 1926. The family contains approximately 15 described species distributed across four genera: Flabellifrontipoda, Frontipoda, Gnaphiscus, and Oxus. These mites belong to the superfamily Lebertioidea and are part of the diverse assemblage of free-living predatory mites within the suborder Prostigmata.
Paraphanolophus
Paraphanolophus is a genus of erythraeid mites in the family Erythraeidae, first described by Smiley in 1968. Members of this genus are predatory mites belonging to the superfamily Erythraeoidea. The genus is characterized by specific morphological modifications of the palpal femur that distinguish it from related genera such as Phanolophus. As with other erythraeid mites, species in this genus are likely active predators in soil and leaf litter habitats, though detailed biological studies remain limited.
Phytoseiidae
predatory mites
Phytoseiidae is a large family of predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata, comprising over 2,700 described species across 90 genera and three subfamilies (Amblyseiinae, Phytoseiinae, and Typhlodrominae). These mites are primarily recognized for their role as biological control agents against agricultural pests, particularly spider mites (Tetranychidae), thrips, and other small arthropods. Their effectiveness in integrated pest management programs has driven substantial research interest, with species such as Phytoseiulus persimilis, Neoseiulus californicus, and Amblyseius swirskii among the most widely studied and commercially deployed predatory mites.
biological-controlpredatory-mitesintegrated-pest-managementagricultural-acarologyspider-mite-predatorspollen-feedingintraguild-predationWolbachiaaugmentative-biocontrolconservation-biological-controldomatiaglandular-trichomespesticide-compatibilitymass-rearingTetranychidaeThysanopteraMesostigmatacrop-protectionsustainable-agriculturemite-ecologyPhytoseioidea
Phytoseioidea is a superfamily of mesostigmatic mites within the order Mesostigmata. It encompasses several families including Phytoseiidae (predatory mites widely used in biological control), Blattisociidae, Podocinidae, and the recently established Africoseiulellidae. Members exhibit considerable morphological diversity, with some genera showing highly specialized adaptations. The superfamily has been subject to ongoing taxonomic revision, with family-level boundaries being redefined based on comparative morphological analysis.
Platyseius
Platyseius is a genus of mesostigmatid mites first described by Berlese in 1916. The genus currently includes six described species distributed across multiple continents. Taxonomic placement has shifted over time, with the genus now classified in Blattisociidae (formerly placed in Ascidae). Species in this genus have been recorded from Europe, southern Africa, and Australia.
Podocinum
Podocinum is a genus of predatory mites in the family Podocinidae, order Mesostigmata. The genus contains more than 30 described species distributed across six continents. Species have been collected from diverse habitats including leaf litter and, in one documented case, from the fur of a wild rodent. The genus was established by Berlese in 1882 and has been subject to recent taxonomic revision, including the description of new species from China and the United States.
Podothrombium
Podothrombium is a genus of terrestrial mites in the family Podothrombiidae, first established by Berlese in 1910. The genus contains 19 described species globally, distributed across Europe, Asia, and North America. Members exhibit the typical Parasitengona life cycle: larvae are ectoparasitic, while post-larval stages are free-living predators of arthropods.
Procaeculus
Procaeculus is a genus of mites in the family Caeculidae, first described by Jacot in 1936. Members of this genus belong to the superfamily Caeculoidea within the suborder Prostigmata. Caeculid mites, including Procaeculus, are predatory arachnids characterized by their raptorial pedipalps. The genus has been rarely documented, with limited observations available.
Spinibdella
snout mites
Spinibdella is a genus of predatory snout mites in the family Bdellidae, characterized by an elongated rostrum used to pierce prey. The genus has been recorded from soil, leaf litter, and bird nests across multiple continents. Species such as S. bifurcata exhibit parthenogenetic reproduction and complete multiple generations annually. Spinibdella species are active predators with documented preference for psocopteran prey.
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.