| environ. |
mite An order of small Arachnida with rounded bodies. Mites are very abundant in the soil, feeding on plant material and invertebrate animals. Some parasitic mites (e.g. red spider) damage crops and can be serious pests. Others cause diseases in animals. Ticks are blood-suckers, some being vectors of diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever in humans and fowls, and louping ill in cattle and sheep (身材滚圆的小蛛形纲。螨盛产于土壤中，以植物和无脊椎动物为食。有些寄生螨类(如红蜘蛛)损害农作物，是严重的害虫。其它可导致动物疾病，如蜱有血液吸盘可做致人类和家禽发烧的落基山斑疹和牛羊跳跃病的载体。) |
