Species group · Arachnids

Mites

WAnimals has 2 species of mite, spread across 2 families (Pyroglyphidae, Sarcoptidae).

2 species

2 families

6 countries

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of mites on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

European House Dust Mite

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

Itch Mite

Sarcoptes scabiei

2 Not Evaluated

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

Recorded in 6 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

It measures 0.3 mm and feeds on flakes of skin; its droppings are the main cause of household respiratory allergy.
From European House Dust Mite
It depends entirely on ambient humidity: it absorbs water from the air and dies if relative humidity stays low, which is why it is all but absent in dry climates or at high altitude.
From European House Dust Mite
It neither bites nor parasitises anyone: the problem is the proteins in its droppings and in the remains of its body.
From European House Dust Mite
It tunnels into the outer skin to lay its eggs, causing intense itching.
From Itch Mite
The World Health Organization lists it among the neglected tropical diseases: it affects more than two hundred million people at any one time.
From Itch Mite
The same species causes sarcoptic mange in foxes, wolves, wild canids and wombats, with outbreaks capable of decimating whole wildlife populations.
From Itch Mite