Is it a mite?—Key feature pages

Insertion of legs

In hexapods, myriapods, and crustaceans the coxae of the legs articulate with the bodybody:
the idiosoma of mites.
(rarely the hind coxae may fuse to the thorax of some insects), typically on either side of a sternite, i.e., a ventralventral:
relating to the lower or under side; opposed to dorsal.
segmental shield.

In arachnids, things are a bit different. In spiders and whipscorpions, a single median sternal plate is more or less well developed and the leg bases (coxae) are inserted around the sternal plate. Some mites (Parasitiformes) also have a more or less well developed sternal plate.

In acariform mites, pseudoscorpions, opilionids, ricinuleids, and solfugids, however, the leg coxae are fused to the bodybody:
the idiosoma of mites.
wall and there is no sign of a sternal plate. This condition is taken one step further in some mites, when the coxae become indistinguishable from the venterventer:
the lower or under side; opposed to dorsum.
and remain only as internal thickening to which muscles attach (apodemes).

Feature pages

• Size
• Wings
• Number of legs or leg-like limbs
• Body segmentation
• Body armor/shell
• Major body regions
• Head or head-like region
• Eyes or eye-like structures
• Antennae or antenna-like structures
• Primary mouthparts
• Palps or pedipalps
• Comb-like structures
• Pedipalpal form
• Venter of head or head-like region
• Respiratory structures
• Recesses into which legs can be withdrawn (pedofossae)
• Ventral processes
• Distal or subterminal abdominal structures
• Ovipore/genital opening
• Discrete anal plates
• Insertion of legs
• Modification and form of leg segments
• Tarsal claws
• Tarsal segmentation
• Silk-producing structures
• Bothridial sensilla
• Large lateral opisthosomal glands
• External brooding