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Animal profile

Human Follicle Mite

Demodex folliculorum

ArachnidaHair follicles and sebaceous glands of human skin, concentrated on the face

Field profile

Demodex folliculorum is a worm-shaped mite about 0.3 millimetres long that lives head-down in human hair follicles, particularly around the nose, eyelashes and forehead. It feeds on sebum and follicle cells. Almost every adult human carries it.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-05-01

Human Follicle Mite

Nearly every adult human face carries mites

Demodex folliculorum lives head-down in human hair follicles and is present on the great majority of adults. It is inherited from close contact in early life, and its genome shows the reduction typical of an animal that has become wholly dependent on one host.

Read with evidence →

Human Follicle Mite | Daily Animal Facts