Let me share with you a difference between ticks and mites.
| Aspect | Ticks | Mites |
| Introduction | Ticks are generally larger | Mites are generally smaller |
| Visibility | Visible to the naked eye | May require magnification for visibility |
| Habitat
| · Grasslands · Forests · Urban areas
| · Soil · Vegetation · Water · Animal hosts |
| Lifecycle
| Typically have a four-stage lifecycle: · Egg · Larva · Nymph · Adult | Diverse lifecycles
|
| Diseases | · Lyme disease · Rocky Mountain spotted fever | · Skin irritations · Allergic reactions |
| Legs | Typically have four pairs of legs | Variable number of legs usually eight |
| Body Segments | Body usually divided into two parts idiosoma and gnathosoma | Body may have a fused or unfused idiosoma |
| Subgroups | · Mainly divided into three families: Ixodidae (hard ticks) · Argasidae (soft ticks) · Nuttalliellidae | · Diverse subgroups, including Prostigmata · Mesostigmata, · Astigmata · Cryptostigmata |
| Examples | · Ixodes scapularis (deer tick) · Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star tick) | · Sarcoptes scabiei (the itch mite) · Tetranychus urticae (the two-spotted spider mite) |