Mastodawn

#Freelancers like me depend on support to survive and be productive, I much appreciate support for a coffee: ko-fi.com/sfwirth
I am performing #science, #sciencecommunication and #arts, often combining arts/science. My #topicrange is wide, it reaches from titan #isopods over the behaviors of the Mediterranean #Junebeetle and even over an #animated #video about the #Cambrianexplosion towards #phoretic #mites of the #Histiostomatidae. Here H. sp. from rotting #lemonfruits. Please support my work.

Stefan F. Wirth Oct 29, 2024

This is the first #freeliving #instar of a #mite from the #Histiostomatidae (#Astigmata, #Acariformes) : named the #larva and being characterized by having only #3pairs of #legs, which is a phylogenetically old character. #Specific and thus #apomorphic for Histiostomatidae is that there is a #dorsalpattern of #sclerites, differing between subtaxa. The photo shows the species #Histiostoma sp. (H. feroniarum-complex) from rotting #lemonfruits in Italy (Sorrento).

Stefan F. Wirth Oct 15, 2024

Scanning electron microscope #SEM details of a #mite (#Histiostomatidae, #Astigmata, #Acariformes) from rotting #lemonfruits in #Italy (Sorrento, from 2006).

The #copulationopening of this species consists of a forwardly curved half "dome", which seemingly protects the opening hole from being covered by dirt from above. In this Histiostoma sp. it is useless as females reproduce parthenogenetically (#thelytoky).
© #StefanFWirth Berlin 2024

My full #blogarticle on X:
https://x.com/wirthstef/status/1840364206966579512?t=G04uRpmjMOM1nvKMZNR5yQ&s=19

Stefan F. Wirth (@wirthstef) on X

Scanning electron microscope #SEM details of a #mite (#Histiostomatidae, #Astigmata, #Acariformes) from rotting #lemonfruits in #Italy (Sorrento, Gulf of Naples from 2006). The two attached SEM #photos show a female of the species #Histiostoma sp. (Histiostoma

X (formerly Twitter)