#Arachtober 25: now for something entirely different, a penthaleid mite (https://bugguide.net/node/view/263374) feeding on a dandelion leaf. Species like the common _P. major_ (which this probably is) have a #DorsalAnus and excrete these globules as they feed, often hanging upside down on the undersides of leaves or vertically on blades of grass.

(If you think a dorsal anus is wild, certain astig females have secondary dorsal genital openings for copulation.)

#ArthroBeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Penthaleidae

#Arachtober 31: yesterday I was enjoying the unseasonably warm weather down by the lake when I passed the little patch of willows where I learned I could find lots of _Penthaleus_ (a.k.a. earth mites, winter grain mites, blue oat mites etc.) on the grass in the spring. On a whim, I got down in a patch of grass and checked again. Not as many as in the spring, but they were there!! I wonder if they can be found year round, or if they are dormant during high summer like they are in hotter climates?

As you can guess, these mites are herbivores. One has a drop of some excretion coming from its #DorsalAnus. (They spend a lot of time on the sides of grass blades and the undersides of leaves; it must come in handy.) The mites are all female and parthenogenetic.

I've been obsessed with arachnids for like 10 years now and there's still so much I don't know, even about the common species in the spots I visit regularly! There's always something new to learn. Take a closer look at the world around you and you'll be amazed by what you can find. Many thanks to everyone who's followed along this month!

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites • #Acari #Acariformes #Penthaleidae