Mites belongs to the class Arachnida. These organisms are not insects in the truest definition and most people still call them bugs. While insects have three body regions, arachnids have two body regions. Insects have three sets of legs (6 total); arachnids have four pairs of legs (8 total). Most insects are winged and have antennae; arachnids are wingless and have no antennae. Mites are the most diverse and abundant of all arachnids, but because of their small size (usually less than a millimetre in length) we rarely see them.

Many mites are among major plants pests but some of them are useful biocontrol agents that attack other detrimental mites.
Spider Mites measure about 1/10 mm in length and come in a variety of colors, depending on the species. Red Spider Mites, as the name suggests, are very often red, but many also be brown or black. Two-Spotted Spider Mites (Tetranychus urticae) are normally light green with dark spots just behind the head. All Spider Mites feed on the underside of the leaves and on new growth in young stems and produce webs which cover the leaves and stems. The damage caused by Spider Mites (small rusty puncture) is compounded by the fact that many mites carry pathogen organism (especially fungal infections like Botrytis and Phytophtora and viruses)

Mites are frequently a pest of drought-stressed plants and can usually be controlled by keeping plants well watered and by hosing off those that are heavily infected. When serious infestation are present it is also possible to treat the plants with specific pesticides called acaricides.