Mite

“ The eggs, in warm weather, hatch in about a week, and the young animal may be seen sometimes for a day together struggling to get rid of its egg-shell. The mite is a very voracious animal, feasting equally upon animal and vegetable substances. It is also extremely tenacious of life: for, upon the authority of Leuwenhoek, though highly discreditable to his sense of humanity, we are assured that a mite lived eleven weeks after he had glued it to a pin, in order to make his observations. ”

“ The body is oblong, square behind; the head is long and pointed, while the maxillæ end in a long, curved, toothed, sickle-like blade. That this creature has the habits of the itch mite is suggested by the [Pg 120] curious, large, hair-like spines with which the body and legs are sparsely armed, some being nearly half as long as the body. These hairs are covered with very fine spinules. Those on the end of the body are regularly spoon-shaped. These strange hairs, which are thickest on the legs, probably assisted the mite in anchoring itself in the skin of its host. ”

“ The transformations of the mites are interesting to the philosophic zoologist, since the young of certain forms are remarkably different from the adults, and in reaching the perfect state the mite passes through a metamorphosis more striking than that of many insects. ”

“ On one sits a tiny boy with a quizzical intelligent little face. His top-knot sticks up like an out-of-curl feather. Beside him is a still smaller mite who cannot be more than two; he has little silver bangles on his fat wrists and ankles, and a strip of cotton rolled round his dumpy body, while papa and mamma and numerous aunts are seated on the platform behind gravely smoking. ”

“ But even for a mite it is very small, and shows signs of bodily degradation associated with its parasitic habit of life. Its shape is adapted to its habitat, which is the sebaceous glands of the skin. The long abdomen appears to be segmented, but the annulations are not true segments. The legs are reduced [99] to conical stumps. The male is 300 μ [12] long and 40 μ broad across the cephalothorax. The female is, as usual, larger, measuring 380 μ in length by 45 μ in breadth. The minute larvae have, as is so often the case with mites, but three pairs of legs, and are 60 μ to 100 μ in length. ”

“ A most singular mite was discovered by Newport on the body of a larva of a wild bee, and described by him under the name of Heteropus ventricosus. The body of the fully formed female is long and slender. After attaining this form, its small abdomen begins to enlarge until it assumes a globular form, and the mass of mites look like little beads. Mr. Newport was unable to discover the male, and thought that this mite was parthenogenous. It will be seen that the adult Demodex retains the elongated, worm-like appearance of the larva of the higher mites, such as Typhlodromus. ”

“ Fowls, when allowed to roost in stables, sometimes convey these mites to horses, torturing the poor brutes nearly to death, the owner being unable to decide what malady afflicts them. The mite is easiest served in the cages of singing birds. That they feed upon the bird is shown by their digestive organs being full of blood. ”

“ The least of Reptiles I have hitherto met with, is a Mite, a Creature whereof there are some so very small, that the sharpest sight, unassisted with Glasses, is not able to discern them, though, being white of themselves, they move on a black and smooth surface; and the Eggs, out of which these Creatures seem to be hatch’d, are yet smaller, those being usually not above a four or five hundredth part of a well grown Mite, and those well grown Mites not much above one hundredth of an inch in thickness ”

“ It is a web-spinning species, and the minute yellowish-red eggs are to be found scattered among a fine web attached to the lower surface of leaves as a rule. The adult mite (Fig. 13, 9) is very active; it is somewhat larger than the two foregoing species, and of a yellowish-green colour, with a pair of conspicuous dark spots on the back. Though this mite can be held in check by the application of lime-sulphur sprays, advantage should be taken of thorough cultivation during the dormant season, since the mite hibernates on weeds and among dead leaves and in the soil. ”

“ Although the identity of a specimen of mite could not be determined until it was mounted, a person could tell whether or not it was one of the larger, very active Laelaptidae, one of the hair-clinging Listrophoridae, or one of the tiny, orange Trombiculidae. ”

“ There are eight legs, four situated close to the head and four posteriorly. The entire parasite scarcely exceeds a fifth of a line in length. The female mite is to be looked for at the blind end of a burrow or at the roof of a vesicle. ”

“ Another species of mite, Pediculoides ventricosus, lives in stalks of cereals, and is very apt to attack labourers who are dealing with grain. Their bites cause severe irritation, local swellings, reddening of the epidermis, and fever. In this particular species the female before she is fertilised has an elongated form 0·2 mm. ”

“ The mites are closely related to the ticks, and although none of them has yet been shown to be responsible for the spread of any disease their habits are such that it would be entirely possible for some to transmit certain diseases from one host to another, from animal to animal, from animal to man, or from man to man. A number of these mites produce certain serious diseases among various domestic animals and a few are responsible for certain diseases of men. ”

“ The itch-mite is found on the lion, dog, sheep, ox, horse, pig, and other animals, as well as on man. There are several other species, as the S. scabei-crustosœ, or Norwegian itch-mite, most common in Norway, but not wholly confined to that country. The mite is much like the common species, but smaller and darker. The malady is similar to that of the common itch, though all the symptoms are intensified, the tubercles and crusts growing enormously. It yields, however, to cleanliness and the sulphur treatment. ”

“ The same naturalist describes the association with Lasius of small mites (Antennophorus) which are carried about by the worker ants, one of which may have a mite beneath her mouth, and another on either side of her abdomen. On patting their carrier or some passing ant, the mites are supplied with food, no service being rendered by them in return for the ants’ care. ”

“ The affected animals will even make attempts to bite themselves, due to the agony produced by the mange mite. If the skin is examined by the aid of a magnifying glass, the mange mite can be easily noticed, or by scraping the skin with a knife and placing the scabs on a dark paper and exposed to the warmth of the sun, the mange mite moving about can readily be seen with the naked eye. Mangy sheep become very poor and eventually die. ”

“ The minute whitish mites (Fig. 20) that cause this disgusting disease are barely visible to the naked eye. They are usually very sluggish but become more active when warmed. They live in burrows just beneath the outer layer of skin, sometimes extending deeper and causing most intense itching. As the female burrows, she lays her eggs from which come the young mites that are to spread the infection. Various sulphur ointments and washes are used as remedies. Cleanliness will prevent infection. ”

“ They merely suck the blood or feed upon the feathers, scurf and desquamating epidermis. Hence they are termed “non-psoric” mites. A certain number of species, however, called in contradistinction “psoric” mites, give rise by their bites, by the rapidity of their multiplication, and by the excavation of galleries in the skin, to a highly contagious disease known as scabies or mange, which if not treated in time produces the gravest results. These mites belong exclusively to the Sarcoptidae and Demodicidae. ”

“ A tiny insect mite may, and does, live a lifetime of birth, growth, marriage, reproduction, old age, and death, in a few minutes, and no doubt its life seems as full as does that of the elephant with his hundred years. ”

“ The tiny mite called by the natives jigger and redbug is more annoying than the wood-tick, one reason being that there are so many more of him. He really does penetrate the skin, and his wanderings under the surface give one the feeling of an itching rash which covers the body. ”

“ Prevention.—This is important, for although the disease is treated with very good results, the mange mite annoy the sheep until they become very weak and emaciated and the loss of wool is enormous due to the affected animal continually rubbing against fences, brush, etc. ”

“ The colour is bright red, changing to a deep orange. The red mite lives freely upon the foliage, and does not produce a web, as do related species; the adult female is bright red to dark brownish-red, rather globular in shape, with comparatively stout legs and numerous spine-like hairs on the back. Although the eggs of the European red mite are exposed on bark and readily accessible to sprays during the winter, no effective winter wash for their control is yet known; the most satisfactory method for checking the pest is to spray the active stages of the mite with summer oil. ”

“ In bad cases the hair falls out and the skin becomes scabby. Horses, cattle and sheep are also attacked. The disease caused by these mites on domestic animals is not usually considered curable except in its very early stages when salves or ointments may help some. ”

“ Scrupulous cleanliness should be exercised to prevent and remove them. Several members of this family are parasitic on cats. One species is found on dead bodies. A case has been cited where one was observed on the brain of a dead soldier, which had just been opened. Although the observer thought that the mite had been domiciled there, and upon the strength of this case the statement is often made that they are sometimes found in the brain, it is probable that the mite was in some way conveyed to the brain after it had been opened. ”

“ It may be that some minute mysterious insect or infinitesimal mite—there is almost certain to be a special walnut mite—has found an entrance into this prized nut and fed on its oily meat, reducing it within to a rust-coloured powder. The grub or mite, or whatever it is, may do so at its pleasure, and flourish and grow fat, and rear a numerous family, and get them out if it can ”

“ SYMPTOMS: The mange mite attacks the skin and produces a thickness of
its outer surface, covering it with crusts and scabs, with a consequent
loss of hair. Intense itching accompanies the disease, and affected
horses continually bite and rub themselves.
Psoroptic Mange commences at the root of the tail, or at the roots of
the mane on the neck or withers, and gradually spreads over the back, up
to the head, over the sides, and finally affects the entire body. In
cases of long standing the skin becomes ulcerated, the animal becomes
greatly weakened, emaciated and finally dies. ”

“ If the part where a little black spot or a pustule is seen be squeezed rather hard, the oily matter there accumulated will be forced out in a 628 globular form. This minute mite is less than one-fiftieth of an inch in length; if it be laid on a glass slide, and a small quantity of glycerine added to cause the separation of the harder portions, the parasite in all probability will float out, and, by means of a fine-pointed pencil or brush, can be transferred to a clean slide and mounted in Canada balsam. An allied species is found in the skin of dogs suffering from mange. ”

“ If space is limited and cultures are kept nearby, it is very important to prevent mite infestation. Containers can be isolated by placing on glass plates lightly smeared with Vaseline, to which an acaricide (e.g. methyl benzoate) can be added. ”

“ These grass mites, however, are born fully adult animals. A sack on the body of the female swells until it is about 500 times the original body size. It is filled with eggs and a nutritive fluid. Within this sack the eggs hatch and the new generation passes through all the ordinary stages of insect metamorphosis. Finally, when they are fully mature, the mother dies, the sack breaks, and the host of new mites emerges. ”

“ The birds of prey, however, often succumb to the attack of a small parasitical mite, which develops itself in millions in their feathers. This small, dangerous parasite, again, may be killed by parasitical moulds. Moulds, birds of prey, and insects would in this case favour the prosperity261 of the palm, and consequently of man; birds, mites, and insect-eating birds would, on the other hand, endanger it. ”

“ It is one twentieth of an inch long, yellowish, with two red spots on the sides, though its color varies with the plant on which it is found, and in different individuals on the same plant; a rusty color shows maturity. This mite, like most of the genus, spins a web on the back of the leaves so delicate that a single strand can not be seen even with the aid of a common magnifier. When the web-work is done, however, it is plainly visible,
and under it the mites congregate in numbers, and feed and multiply very fast. ”

“ Louis Academy of Science, exhibited a Colorado potato-beetle, which was so completely covered with a mite parasite that the point of a needle could not be placed on any part of the beetle's body without touching one of the parasites. He estimated the number of mites at 800, and they had killed the beetle. Aside from the toad and other reptiles, the crow, the rose-breasted grossbeak, and domestic fowls, among birds which prey on the Doryplura decenlineata, Prof. ”

“ For severe itching he advises smearing the bites with vaseline, which is slightly impregnated with camphor or menthol. Medical aid should be sought when complications arise.
The Dermanyssidæ are Gamasid mites which differ from others of the group in that they are parasitic on vertebrates. None of the species normally attack man, but certain of them, especially the poultry mite, may be accidental annoyances. ”