Acaridae (plant parasitic/storage)

Astigmata (storage pests) • Arachnida (plant/storage pests) • other pests • pests-diseases-weeds

Vernacular names
• Deutsch:	Milben
• English:	storage mites
• Español:	acáridos
• Français:	acariens

Tyrophagus putrescentiae (click on image to enlarge it)
Author(s): Eric Erbe, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Acaridae (plant parasitic and storage mites)

This family of mites contains around 500 species. Most are saprophagous and feed on various organic materials. They live in nests, leaf litter or on the soil surface. Various species are important storage mites like the flour mite or the mould mite. Some may also cause allergies. The species are slow moving, have no tracheal system and bear a pair of sclerotized rods between claws and tarsi.

The following genera and individual species are currently entered under this family:

• Acarus (genus - storage pests)
• Aleuroglyphus ovatus
• Rhizoglyphus (genus)
• Tyrophagus (genus)