Tyrophagus casei

Tyrophagus casei, the cheese mite, is a species of mite which is inoculated into Milbenkäse and Altenburger Ziegenkäse cheese during their production. It is 0.45–0.70 millimetres (0.018–0.028 in) long, and feeds on cheese, corn, flour, old honeycombs, bird collections^{[clarification needed]}, and smoked meats.^[2]

Tyrophagus casei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Sarcoptiformes
Family:	Acaridae
Genus:	Tyrophagus
Species:	T. casei
Binomial name
Tyrophagus casei (Oudemans, 1910)[1]
Synonyms
Tyrolichus casei Oudemans, 1910

The surface of cheese which has been colonised by mites may be covered with a fine, grey powder or bloom, due to the mites themselves and their moulted skin and faeces. These impart a distinctive "piquant" taste to various cheeses.^[3]

• 
  An aged Milbenkäse – cheese matured using cheese mites

See also

• Cheese mite
• Cheese fly or cheese skipper, Piophila casei