Major mite taxa

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Taxonomy

updated 2025

Common names

sarcoptiform mites, endeostigmatans, oribatids (including astigmatids)

Probability of encounter

high

Quarantine importance

High, but almost entirely because of the Astigmata, previously treated as the suborder Astigmata, but now recognized as a Hyporder in the Oribatida. Most endeostigmatans and oribatids are of little interest to quarantine since they are primarily soil/litter inhabitants that feed on fungi, other microbes, decaying organic matter and small invertebrates (e.g., nematodes, tardigrades, rotifers). Only a few sarcoptiform mites feed on living plant tissue and these are usually insignificant as pests. The Astigmata, however, includes important parasites of people, livestock, pets, wildlife and insects, as well as many fungivores and scavengers that are pests in stored products and homes.

Diagnosis

Very small (0.15 mm long) to large (5 mm) mites without primary stigmatal openings or peritremes, sometimes with secondary respiratory systems (porose areas, brachytracheae); gnathosoma exposed or withdrawn into camerostome, cheliceral bases not covered by sclerotized ring; palps with 1–5 free segments, without palp apotele; subcapitulum without median groove, rutella (pseudorutella) setiform, stalked-dentate, to toothed, chisel-like or obscure (rarely lost); tritosternum absent; coxae fused to body, forming epimeral fields or reduced to internal sclerotized elements (apodemes); chelicerae 2-segmented; with or without prodorsal trichobothria; intercoxal region without sternal and genital shield elements; development: +/- hexapod prelarva, hexapod larva and 2–3 octopod nymphal stages (protonymph, +/- deutonymph, tritonymph); genital opening develops gradually with 1 pair of genital papillae added in the protonymph, a second pair usually added in the deutonymph, and a third pair often added in the tritonymph; males with a spermatophoric organ or (Astigmata) an aedeagus, chelicerae not modified for sperm transfer; female sperm receiving structure primary or secondary (Astigmata), with bursa copulatrix.

Similar taxa

Uropodid mites (Mesostigmata: Monogynaspides) superficially resemble brachypyline oribatid mites, but have tritosterna, intercoxal genital openings (except for Metagynella), lateral stigmata and peritremes. Heterostigmatina (Prostigmata: Eleutherengonides) have a gnathosomal capsule.

Ecology and distribution

Sarcoptiformans are the dominant arthropods in soil/litter systems (including suspended soils, bogs, and cold and dry desserts). Most species feed on fungi, other microbes, decaying organic matter and small invertebrates (e.g., nematodes, tardigrades, rotifers). This is also true for most of those that inhabit vegetation and only a few species feed on health plant tissue. Astigmata are exceptional in that many species are pests of stored products or parasites of animals, and a few are predators of insects or graze on living plants.

References

• Hughes 1976Hughes 1976:
  Hughes AM. 1976. The Mites of Stored Food and Houses (2nd ed.). Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Technical Bulletin 9. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.
• Krantz 1978Krantz 1978:
  Krantz GW. 1978. A manual of acarology [2nd ed.]. Oregon State University Book Stores, Corvallis.