Mites
![](https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0019/2746/varieties/thumb200.jpg)
Order: Acarina
Size range
- Tiny, some microscopic. Red mite only 0.4 mm diameter
Distribution
- Worldwide, many different types
- Found in most habitats and many different situations
Life History
- Pests on fruit and vegetables. Cause galls on some plants. Associated with food which has been stored for a long time. Parasitic on insects. Dust mites – microscopic, can trigger asthma in susceptible people. Very common in leaf litter
- Immature stages may have only six legs