| MadSci Network: Zoology |
There certainly are mites that live in human eyebrows. At least one, Demodex follicularum may be associated with some forms of baldness, but they are mostly harmless, and are present on the majority of adult humans. Other Demodex species cause mange in dogs, cats and other mammals.
Sarcoptes is another genus of mites present on eyebrows, and one of them (Saracoptes scabiei) causes the disease scabies. Other mites can cause other diseases and act as vectors spreading disease and several are pests in other ways, especially dust mites, which cause allergic reactions in many people.
I’ve never read it, but the book ‘Furtive Fauna : A Field Guide to the Creatures Who Live on You’ by Roger M. Knutson sounds like it might be interesting, and is cheap.
The Acari (the scientific name for the mites) are fascinating animals in loads of other ways too, and fairly little is known about them. If you want to find out more, there's information at the Tree Of Life: Acari pages and a gallery of images of interesting mites by Dr David Walter at the University of Queensland.
I hope that answers your question, and that it'll spur you on to find out more about the amazing little mites - in many ways, the human mites are among the least biologically interesting!
Yours,
James Cotton.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Zoology.
