The cyclamen mite (''Phytonemus pallidus'') is a tiny

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 ...

often found as a pest on

African violet ''Streptocarpus'' sect. ''Saintpaulia'' is a section within ''Streptocarpus'' subgenus ''Streptocarpella'' consisting of about ten species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Tanzania and adjacent sout ...

s and

cyclamen ''Cyclamen'' ( or ) is a genus of 23 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. In English, it is known by the common names sowbread or swinebread. ''Cyclamen'' species are native to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin ea ...

plants. It is invisible to the naked eye, measuring only 0.02 cm (0.01 inch) at maturity. It requires a warm, humid environment, and is therefore problematic primarily in

greenhouse A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...

References

Linquist, E. E. (1987). The World Genera of Tarsonemidae (Acarina: Heterostigmata): A morphological, phylogenetic and systematic revision with a reclassification of family-group taxa in the Heterostigmata. Memoirs Ent. Soc. Canada, (136), 517.

External links

cyclamen mite, ''Phytonemus pallidus''
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site Trombidiformes Animals described in 1901 Arachnids of Africa {{Trombidiformes-stub