Life History, Implications and Impact, D. Sammataro, U. Gerson and G. Needham. Annual Rev. Entomol. Varroa jacobsoni External parasite of the honey bee.
Mites are a very important part of the animal kingdom.
In fact organism size is not correlated with complexity. A cure for HIV would have been discovered long ago if that concept was true. If not for the negative impact created in the beehive by several specialized mite species, most of us would give their presence little thought. Fifteen years ago the world of the honey bee was in grave danger, especially in North America. Acarapis woodi , eliminated what had been a relatively simple life for beekeepers.