Prostigmata
Guides
Aculops ailanthii
Ailanthus leafcurl mite
Aculops ailanthii, commonly known as the Ailanthus leafcurl mite, is an eriophyid mite that infests Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven). This species produces subtle leaf symptoms—undercurled, wrinkled, and glossier foliage—rather than the conspicuous galls typical of many eriophyid mites. The mites themselves are tiny, whitish, and difficult to locate on leaf undersides. The species has been proposed as a potential biocontrol agent against invasive Ailanthus populations in North America, though it remains poorly studied.
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.
Aturus
Aturus is a genus of water mites in the family Aturidae, first described by Kramer in 1875. These mites are part of the diverse Trombidiformes order, which includes many aquatic and terrestrial predatory mites. The genus has a notably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents.
Caeculidae
rake-legged mites
Caeculidae, commonly called rake-legged mites, is a family of large prostigmatic mites (750–3000 µm) and the sole family of the superfamily Caeculoidea. The family contains approximately 100 described species in seven genera distributed worldwide, with the oldest fossil records dating to the Cenomanian (approximately 100 million years ago) in Burmese amber. These mites are specialized ambush predators of arid environments, using modified forelegs to capture prey.
Caeculus
rake-legged mites
Caeculus is a genus of large prostigmatic mites in the family Caeculidae, commonly known as rake-legged mites. The genus contains approximately 20 described species, predominantly distributed in North America. Members are characterized by spiniform setae on their first pair of legs, which function in prey capture. These mites are ambush predators of small arthropods in arid environments.
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.
Camerobiidae
Camerobiidae is a family of prostigmatan mites within the superfamily Raphignathoidea, characterized by distinctly long and slender stilt-like legs. The family includes several genera, notably Camerobia, Neophyllobius, and Tycherobius, with species recorded from Australia, Türkiye, and fossil deposits in Eocene Baltic amber. These mites are associated with aboveground vegetation and various litter habitats. The fossil record was previously limited to a single species but has been expanded with recent descriptions of additional fossil taxa.
Curteria
Curteria is a genus of mites in the family Erythraeidae, described by Southcott in 1961. These mites belong to the superfamily Erythraeoidea, a group of predatory or parasitic trombidiform mites commonly known as velvet mites. The genus is part of the diverse prostigmatan mite fauna, with limited published information on its biology and species diversity. Records of this genus are sparse, with few documented observations.
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.
Eleutherengona
Eleutherengona is an infraorder of mites within the suborder Prostigmata (Trombidiformes). This group includes permanent ectoparasites of mammals, with the family Myobiidae being a well-documented representative. Members are highly specialized for life in mammalian fur and have been recorded from bats, rodents, opossums, and shrews.
Erythracaridae
Erythracaridae is a family of mites in the order Trombidiformes, first described by Oudemans in 1936. The family comprises nine accepted genera including Erythracarus, Tarsotomus, and Tarsolarkus. These mites belong to the superfamily Anystoidea and are classified within the infraorder Anystina.
Eutrombidiinae
Eutrombidiinae is a subfamily of mites in the family Microtrombidiidae, order Trombidiformes. These are prostigmatid mites belonging to the diverse and ecologically important group Parasitengona, which includes many predatory and parasitic species. The subfamily has been documented across multiple continents with over 350 observations recorded. Members are generally small arachnids with the characteristic two-segmented body plan of mites.
Eylaidae
Eylaidae is a family of mites in the order Trombidiformes, suborder Prostigmata. The family contains at least one genus, Eylais, with approximately six described species. These mites are classified within the superfamily Eylaoidea and infraorder Anystina. The group is poorly studied, with limited published information on their biology and ecology.
Hydryphantoidea
Hydryphantoidea is a superfamily of prostigmatan mites within Trombidiformes, comprising approximately 250 described species across six families. Members are predominantly aquatic or semiaquatic, inhabiting freshwater habitats worldwide. The group includes the families Hydryphantidae, Hydrodromidae, Rhynchohydracaridae, Thermacaridae, Ctenothyadidae, and Teratothyadidae.
Lebertia
Lebertia is a genus of mites in the family Lebertiidae, established by Neuman in 1880. It belongs to the order Trombidiformes, a large group of mites commonly referred to as "true mites" or "prostigmatid mites." The genus contains at least two described species, including Lebertia aberrans and Lebertia aberrata. Lebertia is classified within the superfamily Lebertioidea, which includes water mites and related predatory or parasitic forms.
Lebertiidae
Lebertiidae is a family of prostigmatic mites in the order Trombidiformes, established by Thor in 1900. The family comprises at least two genera—*Lebertia* (Neuman, 1880) and *Estelloxus* (Habeeb, 1963)—with approximately 14 described species. These mites are part of the superfamily Lebertioidea within the infraorder Anystina. Records indicate presence in northern European countries including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Limnesiidae
Limnesiidae is a family of water mites (Prostigmata) within the order Trombidiformes. The family comprises at least 3 genera—*Limnesia*, *Centrolimnesia*, and *Tyrrellia*—with approximately 20 described species. Members of this family are aquatic arachnids associated with freshwater habitats.
Limnocharidae
Limnocharidae is a small family of mites in the order Trombidiformes, comprising at least 4 genera and approximately 12 described species. The family includes the extant genera *Limnochares*, *Austrolimnochares*, and *Rhyncholimnochares*, plus the extinct genus *†Neolimnochares*. These mites belong to the superfamily Eylaoidea within the suborder Prostigmata.
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.
Mideopsidae
Mideopsidae is a family of prostigmatic mites in the order Trombidiformes, comprising approximately 7 genera and 19 described species. The family belongs to the superfamily Arrenuroidea within the suborder Prostigmata. Members of this family are relatively small and understudied mites with limited ecological documentation.
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.
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.
Pterygosomatidae
scale mites
Pterygosomatidae is a family of prostigmatic mites in the order Trombidiformes, commonly known as scale mites. These mites are obligate ectoparasites of lizards, primarily infesting the skin and scales of their reptilian hosts. The family includes multiple genera, notably Pterygosoma, Geckobia, Geckobiella, Pimeliaphilus, and Neopterygosoma. Species within this family exhibit high host specificity, with particular mite lineages associated with specific lizard families including Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Liolaemidae, and Gerrhosauridae.
Riccardoella
slug mites, snail mites
Riccardoella is a genus of parasitic mites in the family Ereynetidae that are obligate ectoparasites of terrestrial gastropod molluscs, primarily slugs and snails. The genus contains approximately six described species distributed across Europe, North America, East Asia, and New Zealand. These mites inhabit host mantle cavities, respiratory pores, and lung spaces, feeding on host mucus and tissue fluids. Their life cycles are tightly coupled to host biology, with developmental stages periodically leaving hosts to moult before reinfesting.
Riccardoellinae
Riccardoellinae is a subfamily of mites within the family Ereynetidae, order Trombidiformes. These prostigmatic mites are part of the diverse soil and litter mite fauna. Members are small, soft-bodied arachnids with limited published documentation. The subfamily was established to accommodate genera with distinctive morphological features separating them from other Ereynetidae.
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.
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).
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.
Tetranychinae
Tetranychinae is a subfamily of spider mites (Tetranychidae) containing economically significant agricultural and ornamental crop pests. The subfamily includes the genera Tetranychus, Eutetranychus, Oligonychus, Panonychus, Amphitetranychus, Schizotetranychus, Aponychus, Paraponychus, and Stylophoronychus. Species within this subfamily are phytophagous and pose serious threats to crop yield and quality. Identification relies primarily on morphological examination of adult male genitalia, though molecular and biochemical methods are increasingly employed for accurate species discrimination.
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