A group of small, active, non-insect arthropods, some of which are predators of other mites and small insects (e.g., thrips); most species are plant feeding. The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) is the predominant mite on cotton in the Southeast, typically more of a problem under hot, dry conditions, and damages cotton plants by rasping mostly lower leaf cells; populations are often reduced by naturally occurring fungi, particularly under humid conditions.