Tyrophagus casei
Species of mite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
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| 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 | |
| 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
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