Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Tiny

Diet

Insectivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

Worldwide

Movement

Running

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Uncommon

About

Whirligig mites are tiny, eight-legged predators found in gardens and leaf litter. They spin in rapid, tight circles to confuse prey before striking with needle-like mouthparts.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg sac

   A silk-wrapped egg sac shelters a clutch of eggs until the young are ready to emerge.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A spiderling emerges from the egg sac already in miniature adult form and starts catching prey almost immediately.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult arachnid molts through several instars, growing larger and developing mature markings.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown after its final molt.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Trombidiformes

Family

Anystidae

Genus

Anystis