Associations between mites and leaf dornatia.

Associations between mites and leaf domatia are widespread, abundant and probably ancient. Recent research has shown that mites commonly shelter, develop and reproduce within domatia on plants in many geographic regions, from the tropics to the temperate zone, and most of these mites belong to predaceous or fungivorous taxa. Of hypotheses offered to explain these associations, protective mutualism is most consistent with the reported characteristics and patterns of mitedomatia association.