#mites

• Switchmen — The plural form of the masculine noun acar; it designates multiple railway switchmen responsible for operating track switches within a railway station. Secondarily and colloquially (originating from an occasional literal mistranslation of scientific jargon), the term is sometimes conflated with mites and ticks belonging to the subclass Acari (acarieni).
• Acariferous — Carrying, harboring, or transporting mites; environments, host organisms, or anatomical structures infested or populated by these microscopic arthropods. In entomology, the term characterizes insects (such as certain beetles or bees) that possess specialized structures (acarinaria) evolved for the symbiotic transport or phoretic attachment of mites.
• Acarocecidium — An abnormal gall or tumor-like growth (cecidium) induced on plant vegetative organs (leaves, stems, buds) as a hyperplastic and hypertrophic reaction of plant tissues to the puncture, feeding, or salivary secretions of phytophagous mites (especially from the Eriophyidae family). These structures provide the parasites with shelter against climate and predators, as well as a rich food source.
• Acaro- — An initial combining form (prefixoid) that introduces into the semantic structure of a neologism a direct reference to mites, ticks, microscopic arachnid parasites, or the diseases they cause. It is utilized exclusively within medical, veterinary, botanical, and zoological terminology to generate specialized terms such as 'acarocecidium', 'acarology', or 'acarophobia'.
• Acarophilous — Exhibiting a biological affinity or a relationship of symbiosis and mutual adaptation with mites. As an adjective, it primarily describes 'acarophilous plants', vegetative species that develop adapted miniature anatomical structures (such as domatia or erineae) to attract and shelter beneficial predatory mites, which clean the leaves by destroying parasitic fungi and insect pests.
• Acarophobia — An anxiety disorder manifested by an irrational, persistent, and pathological fear of mites, ticks, or other microscopic parasitic organisms, as well as the possibility of having one's skin infested by them. Affected individuals frequently develop severe obsessive-compulsive behaviors, such as excessive cleaning of the home, repeated washing of the body (to the point of causing skin lesions), and avoidance of outdoor spaces; the condition is sometimes associated with delusional parasitosis (Ekbom syndrome).
• Acarology — A specialized branch of zoology (specifically of arachnology) that deals with the academic, taxonomic, anatomical, and ecological study of mites and ticks. Applied acarology holds fundamental importance in human medicine, veterinary medicine, and agriculture, focusing on researching crop-damaging species, disease transmission vectors (such as Lyme disease), and developing biochemical control methods.
• Adamism — A religious and ascetic doctrine that appeared in the early centuries of Christianity (and was sporadically revived in the Middle Ages by sects such as the Turlupins or Hussites), whose followers, called Adamites, attempted to recreate Adam's state of innocence before the Fall. They practiced sacred nudity during religious gatherings as a symbol of rejecting social conventions and achieving total liberation from original sin.
• Anchorite — An outdated or regional phonetic and spelling variant for the standard term 'anacoretă' (female anchorite), designating a woman who has withdrawn from public social life to live in total isolation, solitude, and strict asceticism, dedicating herself exclusively to prayer. As an adjective (feminine form), it describes a solitary existence, cell, or monastic practice structurally marked by rigorous spiritual rules.
• Annularia — A fossil plant genus of the order Equisetales, characteristic of the Carboniferous and Permian periods, representing the star-shaped whorled foliage of the ancient trees known as Calamites. The linear or lanceolate leaves were structurally joined at the base into a distinct ring, forming a circular fossil imprint that provides crucial clues about the structure of Paleozoic swamp forests.
• Arachnosis — A parasitic disease or infectious condition specific to honeybees or other beneficial insects, caused by the massive infestation of various mites or other small parasitic arachnids (such as the genus Acarapis). The disease affects the respiratory system or cutaneous integrity of the host insect, leading to a severe weakening of the colony and major economic losses in apiculture if not treated in time with specific acaricides.