Everything about Mite totally explained
Mites, along with
ticks, belong to the subclass
Acarina (also known as Acari) and the class
Arachnida. Mites are among the most diverse and successful of all the
invertebrate groups. They have exploited an incredible array of
habitats, and because of their small size (most are
microscopic) most go totally unnoticed. Many live freely in the soil or water, but there are also a large number of species that live as
parasites on plants or animals and even some that feed on
mold.
Some of the plant pests include the so called
spider mites (family
Tetranychidae),
thread-footed mites (family
Tarsonemidae), and the
gall mites (family
Eriophyidae). Among the species that attack animals are members of the
Sarcoptic Mange mites (family
Sarcoptidae), which burrow under the skin.
Demodex mites (family
Demodicidae) are parasites that live in or near the
hair follicles of
mammals, including humans. Perhaps the best-known mite, though, is the
house dust mite (family
Pyroglyphidae).
Insects may also have parasitic mites. Examples are
Varroa destructor which attaches to the body of the
honeybee, and
Acarapis woodi (family
Tarsonemidae), which lives in the
tracheae of honey bees. There are hundreds of species of mites associated with other bee species, and most are poorly described and understood. Some are thought to be parasites, while others beneficial
symbionts.
There are over 45,000 described species of mites
(External Link
). Scientists believe that we've only found 5% of the total diversity of mites. Mites are believed to have existed for around 400 million years.
The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called
acarology.
The tropical species
Archegozetes longisetosus is one of the strongest animals in the world, relative to its mass (100 μg): It lifts up to 1182 times its own weight, over five times more than would be expected of such a minute animal (Heethoff & Koerner 2007).
Systematics
For the systematics of mites, see
Acarina.
Allergy
Mites cause several forms of allergic diseases, including
hay fever,
asthma and
eczema and also aggrevates
atopic dermatitis. Mites are usually found in warm and humid locations, including beds. It is thought that inhalation of mites during sleep exposes the human body to some
antigens which eventually induce hypersensitivity reaction. Dust mite allergens are thought to be among the heaviest dust allergens.
Like most of the other types of allergy, treatment of mite allergy starts with avoidance. There is a strong body of evidence showing that avoidance should be helpful in patients with atopic dermatitis triggered by exposure to mites. Regular washing of mattresses and blankets with hot water can help in this regard.
Antihistamines are also useful;
Cetirizine, for example, is shown to reduce allergic symptoms of patients.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mite'.
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