Riccardoella Limacum

Riccardoella limacum or the slug mite is a member of the Acari (mite) family which is parasitic on slugs and snails. Slug mites are very small (less than 0.5 mm in length), white, and can be seen to move very rapidly over the surface of their host, particularly under the shell rim and near the pulmonary aperture. While once thought to be benign mucophages, more recent studies have shown that they actually subsist on the host's blood, and may bore into the host's body to feed.