What is the scientific name for mites and ticks?
Q: What is the scientific name for mites and ticks?
A: The scientific name for mites and ticks is Acarina, or Acari.
Q: How long has the fossil history of acarines been around?
A: The fossil history of acarines goes back to the Devonian era.
Q: What is the size range of most acarines?
A: Most acarines are tiny, usually less than a millimetre in size.
Q: What is the study of mites and ticks called?
A: The study of mites and ticks is called acarology.
Q: Where do acarine species live?
A: Acarine species can be found living in practically every habitat, including aquatic (freshwater and sea water) and terrestrial habitats. They also outnumber other arthropods in soil and detritus.
Q: What kind of effect do some parasitic forms have on humans?
A: Some parasitic forms affect humans by causing damage through their feeding, as well as being vectors for diseases such as scrub typhus and rickettsia. They can also act as allergens which stimulate asthma in humans.
Q: What positive contributions do Acari make to ecosystems?
A: A positive contribution that Acari make to ecosystems is their role in breaking down forest litter and dead organic matter such as skin cells, as well as helping to control undesirable arthropods through predatory mite use in pest control or herbivorous mite use against weeds.
