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Mites are a very diverse and abundant group of animals that occur in almost all habitat types worldwide. To date, about 40,000 species of mites have been described. The order Mesostigmata is one of the largest orders of mites, and Mesostigmata mites are very abundant in soil but also in decaying wood and other habitats, including banks of water bodies, whether salt or fresh water. Their sizes range from 0.2 to 4.5 mm. Their ontogenetic development includes only one larval stage and two nymphal stages. Diagnostic characters for their identification are located on the idiosoma but also on the gnathosoma and legs. These characters are mainly related to the shape and structure of various parts of body and to the number and location of setae on the body. Mesostigmata mites are mainly predators and scavengers but are also fungivores. They frequently occur in association with other animals. They are often phoretic on larger animals including bark beetles. The most commonly reported genera that are phoretic on bark beetles are Dendrolaelaps, Trichouropoda, and Uroobovella. Phoretic mites can have small or large effects on their phoretic hosts, and these effects may be beneficial, neutral, or harmful. The real impact of phoretic mites on bark beetle population is still unknown and it is necessary to study their influence on population dynamics by using manipulative experiments.