neville park<p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>: this weekend I got out to my sumo mite (_Allothrombium_) tree to catch some wrestling bouts! </p><p>It is some kind of sexual competition thing: certain males seem to stake out a little patch and aggressively defend it against all comers. The females, I think, are the larger ones who take little notice of the fights and mostly wedge themselves into crevices in bark? Courtship rituals seem to involve leg-tapping and walking around each other in circles. I am wildly curious about what's actually going on.</p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/RedVelvetMites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RedVelvetMites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/SumoMites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SumoMites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Prostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prostigmata</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Trombidiidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trombidiidae</span></a></p>
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neville park<p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>: a red velvet mite (_Allothrombium_) sneakily snacks on midges from a spider's web. I also saw a red-winged blackbird eating a midge-filled spiderweb, too. At this time of year, the few spiders that overwintered catch so many midges that their webs almost collapse under the weight—more than they could possibly eat. I wonder how much midge biomass these spiders inadvertently make available to other animals! </p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/RedVelvetMites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RedVelvetMites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Prostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prostigmata</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Trombidiidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trombidiidae</span></a></p>
neville park<p>Did you know? Tiny penthaleid mites will sometimes wear water drops as hats. 🥰</p><p>(That's a total fuckin' lie, it's their excrement. Their anuses are located on their backs.) </p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Prostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prostigmata</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Penthaleidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Penthaleidae</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DorsalAnus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DorsalAnus</span></a></p>
neville park<p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>: it's that time of year again! A sheet-web weaver's web in a willow tree crevice is carpeted with tiny _Bryobia_ clover mites. </p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Prostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Prostigmata</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Tetranychidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Tetranychidae</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Bryobiinae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Bryobiinae</span></a></p>
neville park<p>I almost forgot it was <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>! Inspired by <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://veganism.social/@zorbama" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>zorbama</span></a></span>'s shot of a running crab spider, clover mite, and midge all together (<a href="https://veganism.social/@zorbama/114373000260983349" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">veganism.social/@zorbama/11437</span><span class="invisible">3000260983349</span></a>), here's a running crab spider (_Philodromus_) I found feeding on a clover mite (_Bryobia_). I don't actually often find many arthropods feeding on the adults, though I've seen predatory _Anystis_ mites eating the eggs.</p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailySpiderPic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailySpiderPic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/SpidersOfMastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SpidersOfMastodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/spiders" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>spiders</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Tetranychidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Tetranychidae</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Bryobiinae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Bryobiinae</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Araneae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Araneae</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Philodromidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Philodromidae</span></a></p>
neville park<p>I almost forgot it was <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>! From under one of my reliable dead logs just a few days ago, a mesostig with its prey, a tiny white springtail; a slug for scale; and a smaller, paler mesostig crossing paths with another springtail (which it did not try to eat). </p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/springtails" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>springtails</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Parasitiformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Parasitiformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mesostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mesostigmata</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Collembola" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Collembola</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Poduromorpha" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Poduromorpha</span></a></p>
neville park<p>During this recent spate of warmish weather I've been checking my go-to sumo mite (_Allothrombium_) trees. It's still too early for a dense population, but there are definitely a few out and about! </p><p>Here's an earlier video I took of sumo mites wrestling: <a href="https://youtu.be/qZ0Ml6VXujg" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">youtu.be/qZ0Ml6VXujg</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Trombidiidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trombidiidae</span></a></p>
neville park<p>Flipped over a piece of log on a big dead stump and there were tons of those little iridescent blue-purple springtails, but also several mesostigs. I was watching them hoping one would catch a springtail, and one seemed to be questing about for something. Then it chased after one of the other mites, flung itself on its back, and after some tumbling around ended up clinging to its underside. Then, this. I'm not even sure what's happening, I don't even know what appendages these mites use for sperm transfer.</p><p>edit: oh yeah I forgot to add they're totally having sex</p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMiteVid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMiteVid</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteBehaviour" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteBehaviour</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mesostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mesostigmata</span></a></p>
neville park<p>The first <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a> in a while! The wet dead leaves are a bountiful source of predatory mesostigmatid mites. </p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Parasitiformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Parasitiformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mesostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mesostigmata</span></a></p>
neville park<p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>: wintertime rock flipping turned up some penthaleids and those iridescent purple springtails, not quite sure what they are. They were about the same size (see third photo). </p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Penthaleidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Penthaleidae</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/springtails" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>springtails</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Collembola" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Collembola</span></a></p>
Frosch B<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://photog.social/@FotoVorschlag" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>FotoVorschlag</span></a></span> <br><a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/FotoVorschlag" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FotoVorschlag</span></a> <br>'rauf und runter'</p><p>rauf und dann tatsächlich auch wieder runter klettern diese milben von dem schwarzhörnigen totengräber, die befallen den nämlich nicht wirklich sondern kapern ihn 'nur' als taxi zum nächsten fund aas</p><p><a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/krabbeltierchen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>krabbeltierchen</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/insects" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>insects</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/beetle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>beetle</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/milben" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>milben</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/taxi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>taxi</span></a></p>
neville park<p>New blog post: my top 10 favourite arachnid observations from June onwards! Lifers, rare sightings, and more. Plus, one of my favourite Odyssey passages. <a href="https://nevillepark.ca/2025/01/01/arachnid-summer-fall-highlights/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">nevillepark.ca/2025/01/01/arac</span><span class="invisible">hnid-summer-fall-highlights/</span></a></p><p>If you missed my earlier post covering January to May 2024, find it here: <a href="https://nevillepark.ca/2024/05/15/recent-arachnid-lifers-rarities/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">nevillepark.ca/2024/05/15/rece</span><span class="invisible">nt-arachnid-lifers-rarities/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/SpidersOfMastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SpidersOfMastodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/spiders" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>spiders</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a></p>
neville park<p>Gotta post something for the last <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a> of the year. Here's some mesostigs (family Parasitidae or thereabouts?), predators of the undergrowth, making their way across alien landscapes of fungus and leaf litter on the underside of a dead log. </p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> • <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Parasitiformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Parasitiformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mesostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mesostigmata</span></a></p>
neville park<p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>: checked out my favourite dead logs, got more pictures of mesostigs preying on springtails!! </p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> • <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Parasitiformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Parasitiformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mesostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mesostigmata</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Parasitidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Parasitidae</span></a>???</p>
neville park<p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a> × <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/LichenSubscribe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LichenSubscribe</span></a>: we got some flurries today, but at a few degrees above zero the clover mites (_Bryobia_) are still out and about. Here's one climbing over a tiny crumb of lichen.</p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/CloverMites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CloverMites</span></a> • <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Tetranychidae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Tetranychidae</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Bryobiinae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Bryobiinae</span></a></p>
neville park<p>10 seconds of mite sex why not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMiteVid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMiteVid</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteBehaviour" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteBehaviour</span></a> • <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acaridae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acaridae</span></a></p>
neville park<p>Thrilling moment today. I had flipped a log and was trying (with limited success) to get in-focus photos of this mesostigmatid mite when a tiny springtail ran directly into its path. To my surprise the mite seized it immediately and then, antenniform front legs aloft, hurried off looking for somewhere safe to consume its prize. </p><p>I knew, of course, that mesostigs like this were predatory; I'd just never witnessed the actual predating!</p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> • <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Parasitiformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Parasitiformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mesostigmata" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mesostigmata</span></a></p>
neville park<p>I can't even wait for <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>, this is too exciting, I have to share it now!!!</p><p>In Walter & Proctor's _Mites: Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour: Life at a Microscale_, there's this great image of mites in the family Acaridae mating, with the male facing backwards and his aedeagus (dick) inserted into the female's dorsal copulatory opening (bussy [back pussy]), so he is carried along on her back, a bit like a wheelbarrow race, but backwards.</p><p>Anyway this evening I was idly taking macro of the mites in the fruit fly culture when I SAW IT. It's easier to make out with video. </p><p>marked nsfw for graphic photos and videos of mite sex, you were warned</p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMiteVid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMiteVid</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteBehaviour" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteBehaviour</span></a> • <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acaridae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acaridae</span></a></p>
Frosch B<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://photog.social/@FotoVorschlag" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>FotoVorschlag</span></a></span> <br><a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/FotoVorschlag" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FotoVorschlag</span></a> <br>'tierisch (ohne hund und katz)'</p><p>ein 'schwarzhörniger totengräber', ein aasbeseitigender käfer, der gerne mal von milben als taxi zum nächsten toten tier benutzt wird. hier schon eher ein sammeltaxi.</p><p><a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/insects" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>insects</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/insekten" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>insekten</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/MilbenMittwoch" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MilbenMittwoch</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/milben" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>milben</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/krabbeltierchen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>krabbeltierchen</span></a> <a href="https://troet.cafe/tags/mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mitestodon</span></a></p>
neville park<p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/MiteMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MiteMonday</span></a>: Astig explosion!!!</p><p>I had been putting off making a new tub of fruit fly medium and excelsior for the flightless fruit flies, and discovered the other day that the current tub had quite the population of astigmatid mites, feeding off the same stuff and emerging in great numbers to swarm the outside of the tub during the warmest part of the day. I was actually pretty excited about this, as I hadn't personally seen an infestation of these since childhood, long before I started doing smartphone macrophotography (as a matter of fact, long before smartphones existed, but anyway…), and posts about them on bug ID forums are, for some reason, virtually always low-res shaky videos. So I actually had a chance to get up-close photos!</p><p>Astigs, which branched off from oribatids, are a large and diverse group. Some common species, largely in the family Acaridae (like _Acarus siro_ and _Tyrophagus putrescentiae_), are found around the world as pests of stored products. They may be called "grain mites", "mold mites", "flour mites", "cheese mites", etc. They are harmless, though in huge numbers (e.g. in a bakery, barn, or grain silo) they can spoil food. </p><p>I had just been using a pantyhose sock thing to cover the fruit fly tub, but I went out and got surgical masks so I can make something less porous. I'll also make a fresh batch of fruit fly medium and toss the old tub. That should help keep the mites at a more manageable level.</p><p>I can't ID these precisely—you really need an expert with a key and a microscope—but they're likely Acaridae of some kind.</p><p><a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/DailyMitePic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DailyMitePic</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Mitestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Mitestodon</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/arachnids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>arachnids</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/mites" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mites</span></a> • <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acari" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acari</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acariformes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acariformes</span></a> <a href="https://flipping.rocks/tags/Acaridae" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Acaridae</span></a></p>
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