Mastodawn

#Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However

Stefan F. Wirth 4d ago

#Mites of the #Histiostomatidae (#Astigmata) not only have highly #modified #mouthparts (see photo) that form a #filterfeeding organ, but their #copulatoryposition is also an #evolutionary #modification. Other Astigmata mate back-to-back, while Histiostomatidae have the male riding on top of the female, head over head. See here the dorsal #copulationopening of a #female of #Histiostoma sp..

©#StefanFWirth 2025

Further reading S.F. Wirth ( 2024)
https://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/gsid24/posters/en/

SEMphotos ©S.F. Wirth

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neville park Oct 29

#Arachtober 28: clover mite (_Bryobia_) in a bright patch of lichen.

#ArthroBeauty #LichenSubscribe #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #CloverMites #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Tetranychidae #Bryobiinae

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neville park Oct 25

#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

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neville park Oct 24

#Arachtober 23: witnessed some interesting behaviour between two long-legged velvet mites (family Erythraeidae, likely genus _Balaustium_) on a tree trunk. They were circling each other and drumming their legs, similar to what I've seen courting _Allothrombium_ red velvet mites doing. I am going to email a mite expert and see what they think!

Unfortunately somewhat shaky video here: https://youtu.be/eGYU6fMfm_Q

#ArthroBeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Parasitengona #Erythraeidae

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neville park Oct 21

#Arachtober 21: dreams can come true (if your dream is finding a snout mite https://flipping.rocks/@nev/115403746846167689)

#ArthroBeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Bdellidae #LichenSubscribe

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neville park Oct 20

#Arachtober 20: a tiny oribatid or beetle mite, likely suborder Mixonomata (https://bugguide.net/node/view/238862), ubiquitous dwellers of soil and leaf litter, armoured decomposers.

#ArthroBeauty #MiteMonday #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Oribatida #Mixonomata

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neville park Oct 13

It's another #Arachtober #MiteMonday! Here's a whirligig mite (family Anystidae) cleaning its feet. Warning: handheld video! I was able to stabilize it a bit but the camera still moves around.

#ArthroBeauty #DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

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neville park Oct 6

#Arachtober #MiteMonday: just a good old red velvet mite (_Allothrombium_).

Just imagine having a guinea pig-sized one, as a pet. It would be soft and squishy. It would enjoy squeezing into little crevices to nap. You could brush it, very gently. It wouldn't see very well. It could climb up things with little retractable claws. You could probably feed it mealworms.

#ArthroBeauty #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Parasitengona #Trombidiidae

Stefan F. Wirth Oct 5

#Mites of the #Histiostomatidae (#Astigmata, #Acariformes) are adapted due to #evolution to form #species with #small sizes of about 200-400 micrometers in adults. Their thin #cuticles and modified #filterfeeding #mouthparts for #fungus-bacterial #food intake allowed their #radiation within shortliving moist and bacteria/fungus rich habitats.

Photos
Females of #Histiostoma sp., from #sapropel #mud around gravel pit ponds, #Berlin #Grunewald, 2019, New edit 2025