View source for House dust mite

{{Short description|Common name for several species of mite}}
{{Distinguish|Bed bug}}
[[File:House dust mites (5247397771).jpg|thumb|''Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus''<br />Dust mite faecal pellets that can be small as 10 [[μm]],<ref name="House dust mite faecal" /> but can be contained by anti-mite fabrics of a denser pore size.<ref name="HouseDustMite.com">{{cite web |title=Best Fabrics to Exclude Dust Mites |url=http://housedustmite.com/best-fabrics-to-exclude-dust-mites |publisher=HouseDustMite.com |access-date=24 January 2019}}</ref>]]

'''House dust mites''' (or simply '''dust mites''') are various species of [[Acariformes|acariform]] [[mite]]s belonging to the family [[Pyroglyphidae]] that are found in association with dust in [[dwelling]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Denmark |first1=H. A. |last2=Cromroy |first2=H. L. |orig-date=October 1998 |date=April 2017 |title=House dust mites—''Dermatophagoides'' spp. |url=http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/house_dust_mite.htm |work=Featured Creatures |id=EENY-59 |publisher=Department of Entomology & Nemotology, University of Florida, and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry}} Originally published as ''DPI Entomology Circular 314''.</ref> They are known for causing [[dust mite allergy|allergies]].

==Biology==

===Species===
The currently known species are:<ref>{{cite web |title=House Dust Mites: Ecology, Biology, Prevalence, Epidemiology and Elimination |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341258506|access-date=25 May 2021}}</ref>
* ''[[Blomia tropicalis]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides farinae]]'' ('''American house dust mite''')
* ''[[Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus]]'' ('''European house dust mite''')
* ''[[Dermatophagoides evansi]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides microceras]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides halterophilus]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides siboney]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides neotropicalis]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides alexfaini]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides anisopoda]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides chirovi]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides deanei]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides rwandae]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides scheremeteroskyi]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides scheremetewskyi]]''
* ''[[Dermatophagoides simplex]]''
* ''[[Euroglyphus maynei]]'' ('''Mayne's house dust mite''')
* ''[[Euroglyphus longior]]''
* ''[[Hirstia domicola]]''
* ''[[Malayoglyphus carmelitus]]''
* ''[[Malayoglyphus intermedius]]''
* ''[[Pyroglyphus africanus]]''
* ''[[Sturnophagoides brasiliensis]]''
* ''[[Suidasia pontifica]]''

===Taxonomy===
The dust mites are [[Cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]] members of the mite family [[Pyroglyphidae]].

===Characteristics===
[[File:CSIRO ScienceImage 11085 A scanning electron micrograph of a female dust mite.jpg|thumb|A scanning electron micrograph of a female dust mite]]

House dust mites, due to their very small size and translucent bodies, are barely visible to the unaided eye.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why study the major cause of allergy, the house dust mite? |url=http://housedustmite.com/why-study-the-mite/ |publisher=HouseDustMite.com |access-date=24 January 2019}}</ref> A typical house dust mite measures 0.2–0.3&nbsp;mm in length.<ref>{{cite web |title=The House Dust Mite: ''Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus'' |url=http://www.microbiologybytes.com/video/mite.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516093842/http://www.microbiologybytes.com/video/mite.html |archive-date=16 May 2007 |url-status=dead |publisher=MicrobiologyBytes |date=2007 |access-date=24 January 2019}}.  Note that the video is gone.</ref> The body of the house dust mite has a striated [[Arthropod cuticle|cuticle]].{{cn|date=March 2024}}

House dust mite faecal pellets range from 10 to 40&nbsp;μm.<ref name="House dust mite faecal">{{cite web |title=House dust mite excrements/ faeces HDM excrements |url=https://www.citeqbiologics.com/house-dust-mite-excrements/ |website=Citeq Biologics |date=1 October 2018}}</ref>

===Diet===
Dust mites feed on skin flakes from [[human]]s and other [[animal]]s, and on some [[Mold (fungus)|mold]]. ''Dermatophagoides farinae'' fungal food choices in 16 tested species commonly found in homes was observed ''in vitro'' to be ''[[Alternaria alternata]]'', ''[[Cladosporium sphaerospermum]]'', and ''[[Wallemia sebi]]'', and they disliked ''[[Penicillium chrysogenum]]'', ''[[Aspergillus versicolor]]'', and ''[[Stachybotrys chartarum]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Naegele|first1=Alexandre|last2=Reboux|first2=Gabriel|last3=Scherer|first3=Emeline|last4=Roussel|first4=Sandrine|last5=Millon|first5=Laurence|title=Fungal food choices of Dermatophagoides farinae affect indoor fungi selection and dispersal|journal=International Journal of Environmental Health Research|date=1 April 2013|volume=23|issue=2|pages=91–95|doi=10.1080/09603123.2012.699029|pmid=22774849|bibcode=2013IJEHR..23...91N |s2cid=46508627|issn=0960-3123}}</ref>

===Predators===
The predators of dust mites are other allergenic mites (''[[Cheyletiella]]''), [[silverfish]], and [[pseudoscorpion]]s.<ref name="acari">{{cite web |title=House dust mites: Agents of allergy |url=http://www.acari.be/uk/pest_a.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229074807/http://www.acari.be/uk/pest_a.php  |archive-date=29 December 2010 |url-status=dead |publisher=acari.be |access-date=24 January 2019}}</ref>

===Reproduction===
The average life cycle for a house dust mite is 65–100 days.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Miller |first=J. D. |date=23 June 2018 |title=The Role of Dust Mites in Allergy |journal=Clinic Rev Allerg Immunol |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=312–329 |doi=10.1007/s12016-018-8693-0 |issn=1559-0267 |pmid=29936683 |s2cid=49406343 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title= Biology of house dust mites and storage mites |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341258506 |access-date=20 May 2024}}</ref>

=== Distribution ===
Dust mites are found worldwide, but are more common in humid regions.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Madden|first1=Anne A.|last2=Barberán|first2=Albert|last3=Bertone|first3=Matthew A.|last4=Menninger|first4=Holly L.|last5=Dunn|first5=Robert R.|last6=Fierer|first6=Noah|date=2016|title=The diversity of arthropods in homes across the United States as determined by environmental DNA analyses|journal=Molecular Ecology|language=en|volume=25|issue=24|pages=6214–6224|doi=10.1111/mec.13900|pmid=27801965|bibcode=2016MolEc..25.6214M |s2cid=22325949|issn=1365-294X}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Jennifer Frazer |date=February 16, 2017 |title=Why Do Dust Mites Seem to Shun the Western U.S.? |magazine=Scientific American |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/artful-amoeba/why-do-dust-mites-seem-to-shun-the-western-u-s/ |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The species ''Blomia tropicalis'' is typically found only in tropical or subtropical regions.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dutra|first1=Moisés S|last2=Roncada|first2=Cristian|last3=da Silva|first3=Guilherme L|last4=Ferla|first4=Noeli J|last5=Pitrez|first5=Paulo M|date=2018-05-04|title=Mite Fauna Assessment in Houses of Two distinct Socioeconomic Groups From Southern Brazil|journal=Journal of Medical Entomology|language=en|volume=55|issue=3|pages=620–625|doi=10.1093/jme/tjx239|pmid=29281052|issn=0022-2585}}</ref> Detectable dust mite allergen was found in the beds of about 84% of surveyed United States homes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Arbes|first1=Samuel J.|last2=Cohn|first2=Richard D.|last3=Yin|first3=Ming|last4=Muilenberg|first4=Michael L.|last5=Burge|first5=Harriet A.|last6=Friedman|first6=Warren|last7=Zeldin|first7=Darryl C.|date=2003-02-01|title=House dust mite allergen in US beds: Results from the first national survey of lead and allergens in housing|journal=Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology|language=en|volume=111|issue=2|pages=408–414|doi=10.1067/mai.2003.16|pmid=12589364}}</ref> In Europe, detectable Der p 1 or Der f 1 allergen was found in 68% of surveyed homes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Luczynska|first1=Christina|last2=Svanes|first2=Cecilie|last3=Dahlman-Hoglund|first3=Anna|last4=Ponzio|first4=Michela|last5=Villani|first5=Simona|last6=Soon|first6=Argo|last7=Olivieri|first7=Mario|last8=Chinn|first8=Susan|last9=Sunyer|first9=Jordi|date=2006-09-01|title=Distribution and determinants of house dust mite allergens in Europe: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey II|url=https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(06)01363-7/abstract|journal=Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology|language=en|volume=118|issue=3|pages=682–690|doi=10.1016/j.jaci.2006.04.060|issn=0091-6749|pmid=16950288|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dust Mites |url=https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/dust-mites |website=American Lung Association |access-date=4 March 2023}}</ref>

===Allergies===
{{Main|Dust mite allergy}}

[[Tropomyosin]], the major allergen in dust mites, is also responsible for [[shellfish allergy]].<ref name="Lopata2016">{{cite journal |vauthors=Lopata AL, Kleine-Tebbe J, Kamath SD |title=Allergens and molecular diagnostics of shellfish allergy: Part 22 of the Series Molecular Allergology |journal=Allergo J Int |volume=25 |issue=7 |pages=210–18 |date= November 2016 |pmid=28239537 |pmc=5306157 |doi=10.1007/s40629-016-0124-2 }}</ref><ref name="Prester2016">{{cite journal |vauthors=Prester L |title=Seafood Allergy, Toxicity, and Intolerance: A Review |journal=J Am Coll Nutr |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=271–83 |date= August 2016 |pmid=26252073 |doi=10.1080/07315724.2015.1014120 |s2cid=1154235 }}</ref>

===Oral mite anaphylaxis===
''Dermatophagoides spp.'' can cause [[oral mite anaphylaxis]] (AKA pancake syndrome) when found in flour.<ref name=Barrera>{{cite journal|last1=Barrera|first1=OM|last2=Murgas|first2=IL|last3=Bermúdez|first3=S|last4=Miranda|first4=RJ|title=[Oral anaphylaxis by ingestion of mite contaminated food in Panama City, 2011-2014]|journal=Revista Alergia Mexico |date=June 2015|volume=62|issue=2|pages=112–7|doi=10.29262/ram.v62i2.71|pmid=25958374|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sánchez-Borges|first1=Mario|last2=Suárez-Chacon|first2=Raúl|last3=Capriles-Hulett|first3=Arnaldo|last4=Caballero-Fonseca|first4=Fernan|last5=Iraola|first5=Victor|last6=Fernández-Caldas|first6=Enrique|title=Pancake Syndrome (Oral Mite Anaphylaxis)|journal=World Allergy Organization Journal|date=1 January 2009|volume=2|issue=5|pages=91–6|doi=10.1186/1939-4551-2-5-91|issn=1939-4551|pmc=3651046|pmid=23283016 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

== See also ==
* {{Portal-inline|Arthropods}}

==References==
{{Reflist|32em}}

==External links==
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{{Commons category|Dermatophagoides}}
* [http://www.aafa.org/page/dust-mite-allergy.aspx Dust Mite Allergy] on the [[Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America]] website

{{Pediculosis, acariasis and other infestations}}
{{Acari}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Acari and humans]]
[[Category:Acariformes]]
[[Category:Arthropod common names]]
[[Category:Arthropod infestations]]
[[Category:Building biology]]
[[Category:Cosmopolitan arachnids]]
[[Category:Dust]]