Mites are small arachnids. Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as each other's closest relative within Arachnida, rendering the group non-monophyletic. Most mites are tiny, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) in length, and have a simple, unsegmented body plan. The small size of most species makes them easily overlooked; some species live in water, many live in soil as decomposers, others live on plants, sometimes creating galls, while others again are predators or parasites. This last type includes the commercially destructive Varroa parasite of honey bees, as well as scabies mites of humans. Most species are harmless to humans, but a few are associated with allergies or may transmit diseases.
Erythraeidae is a family of mites belonging to the Trombidiformes. Larval forms of these mites are parasitic on various other arthropods, for example harvestmen, but the adults are free-living predators. These oval mites are rather large, usually reddish coloured and densely hairy. The legs, especially the first and fourth pairs, are long and adapted for running. They have either one or two pairs of eyes and can be distinguished from related families microscopically by the presence of a single claw on the tibia of the palp.
Smarididae is a family of mites belonging to the order Trombidiformes. These large predatory mites have long oval bodies, distinctively pointed in front. They are usually red and densely hairy with slender legs, sometimes very long. They have either one or two pairs of eyes.
Erythraeus is a genus of mites belonging to the family Erythraeidae. These are large red mites with two pairs of eyes and long legs.
Erythraeus munsteri is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This is a large, oval red mite with a body length of up to 1.5 mm. It has two pairs of eyes and long, slender legs. This mite can easily be distinguished from closely related species by the extraordinarily long, blackish setae which cover the body and legs.
Balaustium is a genus of mites belonging to the family Erythraeidae. These are large red mites with one or two pairs of eyes set well back on the body.
Balaustium vignae is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This moderately hairy orange mite is around 1 mm in length with one pair of eyes set well back on the body. It can be distinguished from similar species by the first pair of legs being longer than the body and the lack of a suture dividing the abdomen.
Balaustium bipilum is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This long-oval shaped, sparsely hairy orange mite is less than 1 mm in length with one pair of eyes set well back on the body. It can be distinguished from similar species by the crista projecting forward beyond the margin of the body and the clear suture dividing the upper abdomen. This species is endemic to South Africa.
Balaustium cristatum is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This oval mite is only known from immature specimens: the eight-legged nymph is around 0.75 mm in length and moderately hairy with two pairs of eyes and all legs shorter than the body. The six-legged larva is only around 0.5 mm in length and sparsely hairy with one pair of eyes and the third pair of legs longer than the body.
Balaustium graminum is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This mite is very closely related to and similar to Balaustium medicagoense but has two pairs of eyes and is less densely hairy.
Leptus intermedius is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This is a large, oval mite with a total length of 1.7 mm. The body is densely hairy and there is one pair of eyes. The fourth pair of legs is longer than the body. This species has been recorded only in the Bathurst area of South Africa.
Fessonia is a genus of mites belonging to the family Smaridiidae. These mites can be distinguished from other related genera by having 2 pairs of eyes and always lacking sclerotized plates on the body.
Fessonia brevicristata is a species of mite belonging to the family Smaridiidae. This is a densely hairy mite, shaped as a long oval, pointed in front. It reaches around 1 mm in length. There are two pairs of eyes, those placed further forward much larger than those behind. Both the first and fourth pairs of legs are longer than the body. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the structure of the crista. In this species the crista is truncated so that the sensory setae lying farthest back along the body do not lie on the crista.
Tydeus is a genus of mites belonging to the family Tydeidae. These are small, usually white, mites with soft bodies covered in striations and each leg terminating in two claws.
Tydeus eriophyes is a species of mite belonging to the family Tydeidae. This small oval, eyeless mite is around 300 μm in length with a soft body covered in striations. It can be distinguished from similar species by the bluntly pointed, rod-like dorsal setae. This species is associated with the gall mite Eriophyes vitis on grapevines in the vicinity of Grabouw, South Africa.
Trombiculidae ; commonly referred to in North America as chiggers and in Britain as harvest mites, but also known as berry bugs, bush-mites, red bugs or scrub-itch mites, are a family of mites. Chiggers are often confused with jiggers – a type of flea. Several species of Trombiculidae in their larva stage bite their animal or human host and by embedding their mouthparts into the skin cause "intense irritation" or "a wheal, usually with severe itching and dermatitis".
Lorryia formosa, commonly known as the yellow mite or the citrus yellow mite, is a species of acariform mite. They are in the subfamily Tydeinae of the family Tydeidae. Commonly found on the foliage of citrus trees around the world, Lorryia formosa also associates with a variety of other plant types. The life cycle includes six discrete stages of development, and the lifespan averages about 37 days. The females of the species use an asexual form of reproduction where the growth and development of embryos occurs without fertilization by a male, a process called thelytoky.
Typhlodromips swirskii, the Swirski mite, is a species of predatory mite in the family Phytoseiidae. It is used in biological pest control of western flower thrips in greenhouse or indoor grown crops.
Magdalena Kathrina Petronella Smith Meyer was a South African acarologist who was regarded as a world authority on plant-feeding mites of agricultural importance and was known as the "mother of red-spider mites of the world". She described more than 700 new species and 25 new genera, mostly of mites of agricultural importance. Meyer was involved in the promotion of biological control of mites using predatory mites, spiders and insects.
