origin of a saying

[hartc947]

a dear little mite

[sgs]

A mite is a small arachnid, one of the smallest living things visible to the human eye, so it is used as term (often of endearment) for a small child.

[incitatus]

The word mite has a longer heritage. It can mean a small amount of money (as in "the widows mite"). It was applied to the arachnid (technically not always arachinids....some mites have ten legs) later than its accession to popular usage.