The tarsi of the third and fourth leg pairs have a weak, flexible region in the middle.

[3] Various Histiostoma have deutonymphs associated with insects: H. blomquisti with queens of red imported fire ant,[4] H. polypori with the earwig Forficula auricularia,[5][6] and various species (e.g. H. ovalis) with bark beetles[7] or bees.

Species of Histiostoma have been found in water, in debris at the bottom of aquaria, on the gills of eels (H. anguillarum), in the swim bladder of iridescent shark (H. piscium) and on the fins and gills of Murray cod (H. papillata).

On reaching adulthood, a female lays 2-9 eggs parthenogenetically, which only produce male offspring.

[8] Histiostoma laboratorium is a pest of Drosophila melanogaster cultures, even being named for its prevalence in genetics laboratories.