[5] Due to being adapted to live inside hair follicles, D. folliculorum is thin and worm-like, with short legs.

[9] Adult mites copulate at the top of the hair follicle, near the skin surface.

[9] D. folliculorum prefers areas where sebum production is high,[7] and is typically found in hair follicles on the human face,[12] generally in greater numbers around the cheeks, nose, and forehead, but also elsewhere on the face, eyelids, and ears.

[9] The mites are obligate commensals of humans,[7] and can live only on the skin; they soon dry out and die if they leave the host.

[10] D. folliculorum is not found on newborn babies, but is acquired shortly after birth, most likely from maternal contact.

[13] The mechanism by which the mites cause disease is unknown; they may physically block the hair follicle, carry disease-causing bacteria or, after death, their bodies may cause either a delayed hypersensitivity response, or an innate immune response.

[11] The following year, 1843, the genus was named Demodex by English scientist Richard Owen.