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House dust mites (HDM, or simply dust mites) are various species of acariform
House dust mites, due to their very small size and translucent bodies, are barely visible to the unaided eye. A typical house dust mite measures 0.2–0.3 mm in length. The body of the house dust mite has a striated
Dust Mite Allergy
on the
mite
Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...
s belonging to the family Pyroglyphidae
Pyroglyphidae is a family of non-parasitic mites. It includes the house dust mites that live in human dwellings, many species that live in the burrows and nests of other animals, and some pests of dried products stored in humid conditions.
Etymo ...
that are found in association with dust in dwelling
In law, a dwelling (also known as a residence, abode or domicile) is a self-contained unit of accommodation – such as a house, apartment, mobile home, houseboat, recreational vehicle, or other "substantial" structure – used as a home by ...
s. They are known for causing allergies
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include Allergic rhinitis, hay fever, Food allergy, food al ...
.
Biology
Species
The currently known species are: * ''Blomia tropicalis Blomia may refer to:
* '' Blomia (mite)'', a genus of mites in the family Echimyopodidae
* '' Blomia (plant)'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae
{{Genus disambiguation ...
''
* ''Dermatophagoides farinae
''Dermatophagoides farinae'', the American house dust mite, is one of the best-known species of house dust mite.Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
''Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus'', the European house dust mite, is one of the three best-known species of house dust mite (the others being '' Euroglyphus maynei'' and '' Dermatophagoides farinae'').
Gordon D. (ed). (2019). NZIB: New Zealand I ...
'' (European house dust mite)
* ''Dermatophagoides evansi
''Dermatophagoides'' is a genus of mite
Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent gen ...
''
* ''Dermatophagoides microceras
''Dermatophagoides'' is a genus of mites in the family Pyroglyphidae.
Six species are accepted in this genus:
*''Dermatophagoides evansi
''Dermatophagoides'' is a genus of mite
Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two ...
''
* '' Dermatophagoides halterophilus''
* '' Dermatophagoides siboney''
* '' Dermatophagoides neotropicalis''
* '' Dermatophagoides alexfaini''
* '' Dermatophagoides anisopoda''
* '' Dermatophagoides chirovi''
* ''Dermatophagoides deanei
''Dermatophagoides'' is a genus of mites in the family Pyroglyphidae.
Six species are accepted in this genus:
*''Dermatophagoides evansi''
*''Dermatophagoides farinae''
*''Dermatophagoides microceras''
*''Dermatophagoides passericola''
*''D ...
''
* '' Dermatophagoides rwandae''
* ''Dermatophagoides scheremeteroskyi
''Dermatophagoides'' is a genus of mites in the family Pyroglyphidae.
Six species are accepted in this genus:
*''Dermatophagoides evansi''
*''Dermatophagoides farinae''
*''Dermatophagoides microceras''
*''Dermatophagoides passericola''
*''D ...
''
* ''Dermatophagoides scheremetewskyi
''Dermatophagoides'' is a genus of mites in the family Pyroglyphidae.
Six species are accepted in this genus:
*''Dermatophagoides evansi''
*'' Dermatophagoides farinae''
*''Dermatophagoides microceras''
*''Dermatophagoides passericola
'' ...
''
* '' Dermatophagoides simplex''
* ''Euroglyphus maynei
''Euroglyphus maynei'', or Mayne's house dust mite, is a species of house dust mite in the family Pyroglyphidae.
Taxonomy
The species ''Euroglyphus maynei'' was first described in 1950 by the Belgian acarologist Jean Cooreman (1911–1983), ...
'' (Mayne's house dust mite)
* '' Euroglyphus longior''
* '' Hirstia domicola''
* '' Malayoglyphus carmelitus''
* '' Malayoglyphus intermedius''
* '' Pyroglyphus africanus''
* '' Sturnophagoides brasiliensis''
* ''Suidasia pontifica
''Suidasia'' is a genus of mites in the family Suidasiidae and clade Astigmatina.
Description
The body of ''Suidasia'' mites has various patterns. If small rounded protuberances are present, these are coalescent and at least some are unequal. ...
''
Taxonomy
The dust mites arecosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Internationalism
* World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship
* Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community
* Cosmopolitan ...
members of the mite family Pyroglyphidae
Pyroglyphidae is a family of non-parasitic mites. It includes the house dust mites that live in human dwellings, many species that live in the burrows and nests of other animals, and some pests of dried products stored in humid conditions.
Etymo ...
.
Characteristics
House dust mites, due to their very small size and translucent bodies, are barely visible to the unaided eye. A typical house dust mite measures 0.2–0.3 mm in length. The body of the house dust mite has a striated cuticle
A cuticle (), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non- homologous, differing in their origin, structu ...
.
House dust mite faecal pellets range from 10 to 40 μm.
Diet
Dust mites feed on skin flakes fromhuman
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
s and other animal
Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...
s, and on some mold
A mold () or mould () is one of the structures that certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal ...
. ''Dermatophagoides farinae'' fungal food choices in 16 tested species commonly found in homes was observed ''in vitro'' to be ''Alternaria alternata
''Alternaria alternata'' is a fungus causing leaf spots, rots, and blights on many plant parts, and other diseases. It is an opportunistic pathogen on over 380 host species of plant.
It can also cause upper respiratory tract infections and a ...
'', ''Cladosporium sphaerospermum
''Cladosporium sphaerospermum'' is a radiotrophic fungus belonging to the genus ''Cladosporium'' and was described in 1886 by Albert Julius Otto Penzig from the decaying leaves and branches of ''Citrus''. It is a dematiaceous (darkly-pigmented ...
'', and ''Wallemia sebi
''Wallemia sebi'' is a xerophilic fungus of the phylum Basidiomycota.
It is commonly found on highly sugared or salted materials, such as jams, bread, cakes, sugar, bacon, salted meats, and salted fish. It is also found in indoor air, house dus ...
'', and they disliked ''Penicillium chrysogenum
''Penicillium chrysogenum'' (formerly known as ''Penicillium notatum'') is a species of fungus in the genus ''Penicillium''. It is common in temperate and subtropical regions and can be found on salted food products, but it is mostly found in in ...
'', ''Aspergillus versicolor
''Aspergillus versicolor'' is a slow-growing species of filamentous fungus commonly found in damp indoor environments and on food products. It has a characteristic musty odor associated with moldy homes and is a major producer of the hepatotoxic ...
'', and ''Stachybotrys chartarum
''Stachybotrys chartarum'' (, ), also known as black mold is a species of microfungus that produces its conidia in slime heads.
Because of misinformation, ''S. chartarum'' has been inappropriately referred to as toxic mold. A variety of health ...
''.
Predators
The predators of dust mites are other allergenic mites (''Cheyletiella
''Cheyletiella'' is a genus of mites that live on the skin surface of dogs, cats, and rabbits.
The adult mites are about 0.385 millimeters long, have eight legs with combs instead of claws, and have palpi that end in prominent hooks. They do n ...
''), silverfish
The silverfish (''Lepisma saccharinum'') is a species of small, primitive, wingless insect in the order Zygentoma (formerly Thysanura). Its common name derives from the insect's silvery light grey colour, combined with the fish-like appearanc ...
, and pseudoscorpion
Pseudoscorpions, also known as false scorpions or book scorpions, are small, scorpion-like arachnids belonging to the order Pseudoscorpiones, also known as Pseudoscorpionida or Chelonethida.
Pseudoscorpions are generally beneficial to humans bec ...
s.
Reproduction
The average life cycle for a house dust mite is 65–100 days. A mated female house dust mite can live up to 70 days, laying 60 to 100 eggs in the last five weeks of her life. In a 10-week life span, a house dust mite will produce approximately 2,000 fecal particles and an even larger number of partially digested enzyme-covered dust particles.Distribution
Dust mites are found worldwide, but are more common in humid regions. The species ''Blomia tropicalis'' is typically found only in tropical or subtropical regions. Detectable dust mite allergen was found in the beds of about 84% of surveyed United States homes. In Europe, detectable Der p 1 or Der f 1 allergen was found in 68% of surveyed homes.Health issues
Asthma
House dust mite antigens are strongly associated with asthma development and severity; they are estimated to contribute to 60–90% of cases.Allergies
Tropomyosin
Tropomyosin is a two-stranded alpha-helical, coiled coil protein found in many animal and fungal cells. In animals, it is an important component of the muscular system which works in conjunction with troponin to regulate muscle contraction. It ...
, the major allergen in dust mites, is also responsible for shellfish allergy
Shellfish allergy is among the most common food allergies. "Shellfish" is a colloquial and fisheries term for aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs such as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops, crustaceans s ...
.
Oral mite anaphylaxis
''Dermatophagoides spp.'' can cause oral mite anaphylaxis (AKA pancake syndrome) when found in flour.See also
*References
External links
Dust Mite Allergy
on the
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is the leading patient organization for people with asthma and allergies and the oldest asthma and allergy patient group in the world. AAFA is dedicated to saving lives and reducing the burden of ...
website
{{Authority control
Acari and humans
Acariformes
Arthropod common names
Arthropod infestations
Building biology
Cosmopolitan arachnids
Dust