Mites are known to live in a diverse number of habitats, but only recently have they been collected in large quantities from the tropical canopies, where they have a diverse feeding habit.

We studied the canopy oribatid mites from five localities of Mexican oak species. Foggings with a natural pyrethrum in aqueous solution were employed to obtain the arthropods living on the canopy of the oaks. Specimens were taken from two collections made in February and August of 1997.

The total number of mites obtained with the two foggings was 5824 specimens. Most of them (95%) were collected during the rainy season and only about 5% during the dry season. The Mesostigmata were represented by 194 specimens, Prostigmata by 849 and the Cryptostigmata (or oribatids) were by far the most abundant, with a total of 4781 specimens. This group represents only 3% of total mite abundance during the dry season and 97% during the rainy season.

Quercus crassipes harboured more oribatid mites during the dry and rainy seasons, and the most important mites in abundance and frequency were Camisia sp., Phauloppia sp. and Scapheremaeus sp.