Smarididae Explained

Smarididae is a family of mites belonging to the order Trombidiformes. These large predatory mites have long oval bodies, distinctively pointed in front. They are usually red and densely hairy with slender legs, sometimes very long. They have either one or two pairs of eyes.

Fossil record

The Cretaceous smaridid Immensmaris chewbaccei had idiosoma of more than in length and was the largest fossil acariform mite and also the largest erythraeoid mite ever recorded.^[1]

Further reading

• Nine new species of the superfamily Erythraeoidea (Acarina: Trombidiformes) associated with plants in South Africa, Magdalena K.P. Meyer & P.A.J. Ryke, Acarologia I

Notes and References

1. J. A. Dunlop, K. Frahnert, and J. Makol. 2018. A giant mite in Cretaceous Burmese amber. Fossil Record 21:285-290