Major mite taxa

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Taxonomy

updated 2025

Common names

snout mites, tydeids, iolinids, rhagidiids, eupodids, earth mites, pea mites, oat mites, winter grain mites, erynetids, slug mites, nasal mites, halacarids, gall mites, rust mites, erinose mites, eriophyids

Probability of encounter

very high

Quarantine importance

Very high. The Eriophyoidea contains many important pests of crops, including species that transmit plant diseases. The Eupodoidea contains the red-legged earth mites and their relatives (Pethalodidae). Erynetidae includes predators in soils, but also contains several subfamily of parasites, mostly in the nasal mucosa of birds, reptiles and amphibians, but some infest slugs. Tydeids are among the most common mites on vegetation and some species have made their way on to intercept lists, although there is little evidence that they harm crops. Some snout mites are used in biological control.

Diagnosis

Minute to large; soft-bodied to well-sclerotized; body colour white, pink, yellow, green, or red. Palps 1–5 segmented, linear or raptorial, lacking a thumb-claw complex; cheliceral bases separate or adnate-fused; chelicerae range from strongly chelate in Rhagidiidae to hooklike or styletiform in most taxa; capitulum snout-like in Bdelloidea. Usually with one or two pairs of prodorsal trichobothria (absent in Eriophyoidea); peritremes absent; naso present or absent; lateral eyes present or absent. Body setation ranges from scanty to hypertrichous; genital papillae usually present but often reduced in size or number. Legs I often long and antenniform. Males sometimes with sclerotized internal ejaculatory apparatus.

Similar taxa

Anystina usually have a thumbclaw complex, as do Raphignathina (which lack prodorsal trichobothria). Whip-like cheliceral digits are found only in Raphignathina.

Ecology and distribution

Bdelloids (snout mites) are common inhabitants of forest and grassland soils, and are also frequently collected on foliage. They are cruising or ambush predators of small arthropods. Eupodoid mites range from the large rainforest-dwelling epigaeic Eriorhynchidae to minute eupodids and rhagidiids deep in soil. Feeding habits for most taxa are unknown. The majority appear to be predators or fungivores, but some are plant parasites; members of the eupodoid family Penthaleidae (red-legged earth mites) are among Australia’s worst pasture pests. Halacaroidea are entirely aquatic and can be identified to family using Proctor et al. (1998)Proctor et al. (1998):
Proctor HC, Harvey M, Walter D, Mckie B. 1998. Key to freshwater arachnids (spiders and mites) of Australia [Lucid multimedia key]. In: An Interactive Guide to Australian Aquatic Invertebrates (Windows ed. 2). CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood. (Original work published on CD-ROM). The Tydeoidea include parasites of vertebrates and invertebrates as well as free-living predators and fungivores. Members of the Tydeidae are common in soil and on foliage. The Eriophyoidea (gall and rust mites) are tiny vermiform animals with only two pairs of legs as adults. All species are parasites of vascular plants and are unlikely to show up in soil collections, with the possible exception of those associated with grasses.

References

• Kethley 1982aKethley 1982a:
  Kethley JB. 1982a. Acariformes. pp. 120–123. In: Parker SP, ed. Synopsis and classification of living organisms, Vol. 2. McGraw-Hill, New York.
• Kethley 1990aKethley 1990a:
  Kethley JB. 1990a. Acarina: Prostigmata (Actinedida). pp. 667–756. In: Dindal DL, ed. Soil biology guide. John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.
• Krantz 1978Krantz 1978:
  Krantz GW. 1978. A manual of acarology [2nd ed.]. Oregon State University Book Stores, Corvallis.
• Proctor et al. 1998Proctor et al. 1998:
  Proctor HC, Harvey M, Walter D, Mckie B. 1998. Key to freshwater arachnids (spiders and mites) of Australia [Lucid multimedia key]. In: An Interactive Guide to Australian Aquatic Invertebrates (Windows ed. 2). CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood. (Original work published on CD-ROM)
• Qin and Halliday 1997Qin and Halliday 1997:
  Qin TK, Halliday RB. 1997. Eriorhynchidae, a new family of Prostigmata (Acarina), with a cladistic analysis of eupodoid species of Australia and New Zealand. Systematic Entomology 22: 151–171.
• Wallace and Mahon 1973Wallace and Mahon 1973:
  Wallace MMH, Mahon JA. 1973. The taxonomy and biology of Australian Bdellidae (Acari). I. Subfamilies Bdellinae, Spinibdellinae and Cytinae. Acarologia 14: 544–580.
• Wallace and Mahon 1976Wallace and Mahon 1976:
  Wallace MMH, Mahon JA. 1976. The taxonomy and biology of Australian Bdellidae (Acari). II. Subfamily Odontoscrinae. Acarologia 18: 65–123.
• Walter and Proctor 1999Walter and Proctor 1999:
  Walter DE, Proctor HC. 1999. Mites: Ecology, evolution and behaviour. University of NSW Press, Sydney and CABI, Wallingford. 494 pp.