Traits: Tiny to microscopic invertebrate animal with eight legs and a pear-shaped body

Habitat: Mosses, rotten leaves, humus, forest soils

Foods: Varies by species; many prey on roundworms, other mites, and insect larvae; others feed on plants (dead or live) and animals.

Eaten by: Centipedes, some ground beetles, ladybird beetles, winter wrens, thrushes, sparrows

Do You Know? Some mites ride on the backs of carrion beetles. Other mites parasitize other animals.