neville parkToday's whirligig mites are eating:
- small fly (midge?)
- plant bug nymphs
- another whirligig mite
#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #bugstodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae
#MiteMonday × #Mosstodon × #LichenSubscribe: a whirligig mite (family Anystidae) on a tree trunk after rain. I was half hoping to find snout mites (family Bdellidae), but this is fine too.
On today's whirligig mite menu: aphid, plant bug nymph.
#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #bugstodon #insects #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #Hemiptera #Heteroptera #Miridae #Aphididae
The anystids in the garden were largely eating thrips today, it seems.
#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #bugstodon #arachnids #mites #insects #thrips #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #Thysanoptera
#MiteMonday: PEAK ANYSTID HAS BEGUN. This whirligig mite (family Anystidae) has captured a plant bug nymph (family Miridae). It had to jealously guard its catch as the other mites racing around this park bench kept trying to steal it.
#bugstodon #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae
Note: while they don't follow the ectoparasite-then-predator life history typical of the much larger group they belong to, these little guys are not strict vegetarians and will also eat dead bugs, like this plant bug nymph. This was just a couple feet away from the group in the previous post.
#ArthroBeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #bugstodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Erythraeidae
#DailyMiteVid: see, I *told* you there was enough pollen!
A bunch of _Balaustium_ long-legged velvet mites, standing on top of each other to feed on an especially large clump of pollen, only chasing each other off a little bit.
#ArthroBeauty #Mitestodon #bugstodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Erythraeidae
#DailyMitePic: Comrades, please, no fighting, there's enough pollen for everyone!
#Mitestodon #bugstodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Erythraeidae
#DailyMitePic: whirligig mites (family Anystidae) are voracious predators…including of each other. Spotted on the rain barrel earlier today.
#MiteMonday: The _Balaustium_ will continue until morale improves^W^W Peak Anystid is upon us
#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Erythraeidae
