Adult — 1/16" - 1/8 in length. Humped thorax. Fine hairs cover the body. Elytra (wing cases) have ridges with indentations.
Larva — active in early stages of development. Bores into hard substances. They are able to detoxify some poisonous substances.

Will often fly. Adults do not feed.

Life cycle — 200 days at 17°C, 70 days at 28°C. Adults live for 13 to 65 days.

With a preference for old cheese to young cheese, these mites also feed on nuts, dried eggs, fruit, flour and tobacco. Cheese mites are capable of contaminating foods to cause skin or gut irritation.

The cheese mite favours warm, moist conditions and eggs mature in 10 days at room temperatures. Females can lay up to 900 eggs in a lifetime at a rate of 20 – 30 a day. Adult cheese mites can live for up to 60 – 70 days.

Under adverse conditions, may pass through a long and very resistant stage called a hypopus.

Capable of tainting foods and causing gut irritation. Commonly feeds on flour, cereals and fungi. Favours moist environmental conditions; common in damp poorly ventilated rooms.

Egg to adult in 22 days at room temperature. Adult lives for approximately 50 days.