It is slow-moving, flat, and oblong in shape, being wider at the anterior end.
Coloring ranges from red brown to more reddish.
Citrus flat mite is a warm season pest with populations increasing in June and peaking in late July and August, then gradually declining. Feeding on the stems causes a browning that gradually develops into a severely roughened, black area that resembles a scab. This feeding damage is usually on the inside or back portion of nut clusters. Under heavy population pressure, stems and nuts begin to shrivel. Damaged nuts remain on the tree and can provide an overwintering source for navel orangeworm.