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Mite Biology
Mites are bugs creepy, crawly, human , animal and plant biting critters but, they are not insects. Mites are actually Arachnids. Arachnids differ from insects in several ways. First they have two body segments (head and abdomen), rather then the three segments of the insect body (head, thorax, and abdomen). They have eight legs rather then six and they have simply, single lens eyes rather then the compound eye of insects. Arachnids also have chelicerae which are the pair of fang like appendages near their mouth often used for grasping or piercing their prey. Some arachnids such as scorpions have chelipieds which are the specialized pair of legs that bear pinching claws, mites do not have chelipieds. Insects do not have chelicerae or chelipieds. So what is a mite? We will answer this question and explore several species of mites in the next several sections of this presentation.
Mites are bugs creepy, crawly, human , animal and plant biting critters but, they are not insects. Mites are actually Arachnids. Arachnids differ from insects in several ways. First they have two body segments (head and abdomen), rather then the three segments of the insect body (head, thorax, and abdomen). They have eight legs rather then six and they have simply, single lens eyes rather then the compound eye of insects. Arachnids also have chelicerae which are the pair of fang like appendages near their mouth often used for grasping or piercing their prey. Some arachnids such as scorpions have chelipieds which are the specialized pair of legs that bear pinching claws, mites do not have chelipieds. Insects do not have chelicerae or chelipieds. So what is a mite? We will answer this question and explore several species of mites in the next several sections of this presentation.
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The life cycle of a mite goes through 4 stages of development: The first stage is the egg. Female mites lay eggs, which hatch as Larva the second stage of mite development. During the larval stage only six legs are present. It is at the third stage of life, called the nymph stage that all eight pair of legs appear. The final stage is the Adult stage. Mites may change there host species depending on what stage of life they are in. Stage of life, change of seasons, availability of food supplies, and the proximity of preferred host species to human habitats all increase or decrease the likely hood of mites biting and feeding on humans.
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"Mites" is a term commonly applied to a group of small arachnids. Mites as a group are microscopic with the largest species being roughly the size of a pin head. They are varied and diverse as a group. Some species of mite bite or cause irritation to humans, or parasitize their pets, livestock, or plants and crops. Some species are scavengers, some feed on other insects and/or arthropods. When mites parasitize humans, the affect can be harmful. Mites can cause skin irritations, allergies, or in some cases even psychological disorders due to imagined or real infestation. Delusional Parasitosis is the perceived infestation of the human body with insects. Some species of mites are also pests infesting crops and plants causing economic damages often of large scale. Mites rarely transmit disease to humans. Scabies is not a disease, but is caused by a mite infestation of the human body. It is often characterized as a skin disease like Chicken Pox or Shingles. Both of those diseases are caused by a virus. Scabies is not a disease but is an actual station of mites living under the skin of its human host causing irritation and sever itching.