Mite is the common name for a type of small animal related to ticks. Mites and ticks are not insects. They are arachnids—that is, they are part of the same group as spiders and scorpions.
Some mites live on land, while others live in water. Some are too small to be seen easily with the naked eye and must be studied under a microscope. The adult usually has a saclike body with a slight dividing line between its abdomen and thorax, and has four pairs of legs. The mouth has piercing and grasping organs. The digestive system begins in the sucking beak. The young larvae of most species hatch from eggs and have six legs. They shed their skins and change into nymphs with eight legs. After one or more other moltings, the nymphs change into adults.
Many kinds of mites live at least part of their lives as parasites. They suck the blood of animals or the juice from plants, and eat cell tissues as well. Other mites eat cereal, cheese, drugs, feathers, flour, and other stored products. Several kinds of mites burrow into the skin of people and other mammals, especially horses, cattle, and sheep. They cause the skin to break out and itch, forming scabs and mange. The troublesome chiggers, or red bugs, which torment people in the woods, are larvae of mites. Another kind that attacks people is a long wormlike mite that burrows into the hair follicles and the oil glands. All these mites except the last can be repelled by sulfur preparations.
Several kinds of mites attack poultry. The best known is the common chicken mite, which sucks the blood of its victims at night and hides in cracks during the day.
A mite called the red spider sometimes destroys greenhouse plants. The pearleaf blister mite damages fruit trees. Gall mites form small lumps on leaves and twigs. Unlike other mites, they have only two pairs of legs. Clover mites attack plants and fruit trees. Often in late autumn, large numbers of these mites move indoors to avoid the cold weather. Other mites attack bulbs and roots of plants. A few species prey on plant lice, or aphids, and others on insects and grasshopper eggs. Many species (kinds) live in the soil and help break down dead plant and animal tissues.
