#anystidae — Public Fediverse posts

#MiteMonday: a whirligig mite (family Anystidae) feeding on a long-legged velvet mite (family Erythraeidae, compare to _Balaustium_). Given how plentiful _Balaustium_ are, coinciding with peak anystid, this must be going on all the time, but I rarely see it.

#Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #Erythraeidae

Just as interesting to me was the behaviour of the mite. It kept running around the same square inch or so. (Normally they run around a much larger area and when they run around in a small area it's just a turn or two in a small burst of energy, in the manner of one of those hyperactive dogs so energetic they can't sit still for long.) It really did seem as if it were *looking for the midge*!

I felt so bad for it I smushed a plant bug nymph (family Miridae) and dropped it by the mite, who immediately took it. (2/2)

#Mitestodon #mites #MiteBehaviour #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #Hemiptera #Heteroptera #Miridae

#DailyMitePic × #DailySpiderPic: I was taking a photo of a whirligig mite (family Anystidae) eating a tiny midge when I saw a zebra jumping spider (_Salticus scenicus_) sneakily approaching. It pounced and seized the midge for itself! (1/2)

#Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #spiders #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #Araneae #Salticidae

Forgot to do mites yesterday oh well. Whirligig mites, food, etc., you know the drill.

- aphid
- ???
- plant bug
- fly

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #bugstodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

Today's whirligig mite (family Anystidae) menu:

- a plant bug nymph (family Miridae)
- another whirligig mite, or an old exoskeleton maybe?
- a thrips
-a small midge-like fly of some sort

Out of sheer curiosity I captured about half a dozen decently sized whirligig mites and put them on the brown-eyed Susan (_Rudbeckia triloba_) plants which are currently covered in large black aphids. (They do not seem to appreciably harm the plants, which will only mature and bloom much later in the year.) I am not sure if they'll even stay on the plant given how erratically they run around, nor if they'll go for the aphids.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #bugstodon #mites #arachnids #insects #thrips #flies #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #Hemiptera #Heteroptera #Miridae #Thysanoptera #Diptera

Has Science Gone Too Far????

Slightly inspired by @thebiologistisn's blue bean project, I experimented with adding food colouring to the little eyedropper bottle of water I carry around during Peak Anystid. (Putting down a drop of water can make them stop to drink, an easy way to get these hyperactive mites to hold still for photos.) It was fun seeing the mites turn slightly blue, but I changed it back to plain water because I didn't want to leave unsightly dried-up blue spots all over the plants and street furniture and whatnot.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

On the menu today for the whirligig mites:

- aphid?
- big plant bug
- little plant bug
- sidewalk mite

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #bugstodon #arachnids #mites #insects #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #Erythraeidae #Hemiptera #Miridae #Aphididae

Today'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.

#Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

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

#DailyMitePic: whirligig mites (family Anystidae) are voracious predators…including of each other. Spotted on the rain barrel earlier today.

#Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

Still the depths of winter here. I have been having dreams about bugs. I recently had a dream about finding plump whirligig mites everywhere: some their usual orange-red, others greenish because they had just eaten something green…I miss the mites.

Here are some whirligig mites I found a couple of years ago on a rock down by the lake, fighting over a dead midge. #iNaturalist observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/225382565 :inaturalist:

#MiteMonday #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acariformes #Anystidae

Still the depths of winter here. I have been having dreams about bugs. I recently had a dream about finding plump whirligig mites everywhere: some their usual orange-red, others greenish because they had just eaten something green…I miss the mites.

Here are some whirligig mites I found a couple of years ago on a rock down by the lake, fighting over a dead midge. #iNaturalist observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/225382565 :inaturalist:

#MiteMonday #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acariformes #Anystidae

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

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

#Arachtober 2: anystid renaissance! Commonly called whirligig mites for their constant frantic and erratic running, these large (~1 mm*) predatory mites in the family Anystidae have a population boom in early to mid-June and seem to increase in numbers again in autumn, at least around here. They eat aphids, small midges, each other, etc. This one seems to be eating some kind of barklouse (Psocodea)?

* Given that many mites are microscopic, any mite one can clearly see with the naked eye counts as "large".

#ArthroBeauty #LichenSubscribe #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

#Arachtober 2: anystid renaissance! Commonly called whirligig mites for their constant frantic and erratic running, these large (~1 mm*) predatory mites in the family Anystidae have a population boom in early to mid-June and seem to increase in numbers again in autumn, at least around here. They eat aphids, small midges, each other, etc. This one seems to be eating some kind of barklouse (Psocodea)?

* Given that many mites are microscopic, any mite one can clearly see with the naked eye counts as "large".

#ArthroBeauty #LichenSubscribe #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

Happy post-postscript: today I learned by very carefully pulling the floret petals apart, I could easily free most mites.

Pic 1: whirligig mites stuck on milkweed, circled in magenta.

Pic 2: a rescued whirligig mite drinking on a tissue I put a bit of water on.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #milkweed

Happy post-postscript: today I learned by very carefully pulling the floret petals apart, I could easily free most mites.

Pic 1: whirligig mites stuck on milkweed, circled in magenta.

Pic 2: a rescued whirligig mite drinking on a tissue I put a bit of water on.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #milkweed

So far there is only one coneflower blooming in the garden. It has attracted hordes of 1) carpet beetles (which feed on pollen as adults); 2) thrips; and 3) minute pirate bugs and 4) whirligig mites, which both eat the thrips.

#bugstodon #insects #beetles #thrips #bugs #arachnids #mites #Coleoptera #Dermestidae #Thysanoptera #Heteroptera #Anthocoridae #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

So far there is only one coneflower blooming in the garden. It has attracted hordes of 1) carpet beetles (which feed on pollen as adults); 2) thrips; and 3) minute pirate bugs and 4) whirligig mites, which both eat the thrips.

#bugstodon #insects #beetles #thrips #bugs #arachnids #mites #Coleoptera #Dermestidae #Thysanoptera #Heteroptera #Anthocoridae #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

OK, sequel to my post almost exactly 1 year ago about milkweed pollinia…I discovered something amazing!

I was looking at some milkweed plants that had just started flowering and noticed a honeybee trying to get its leg unstuck from a flower. Because it's Peak Anystid, there were also many whirligig mites running around on the flowering umbels. These mites almost never stay still, yet one *was*. Could it also be stuck? YES! It was struggling to get out.

I looked carefully at more of the flowers and found a dead whirligig mite, also with its leg stuck in a flower.

I wonder how many other arthropods accidentally fall prey to the flowers?!

#bugstodon #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #milkweed

OK, sequel to my post almost exactly 1 year ago about milkweed pollinia…I discovered something amazing!

I was looking at some milkweed plants that had just started flowering and noticed a honeybee trying to get its leg unstuck from a flower. Because it's Peak Anystid, there were also many whirligig mites running around on the flowering umbels. These mites almost never stay still, yet one *was*. Could it also be stuck? YES! It was struggling to get out.

I looked carefully at more of the flowers and found a dead whirligig mite, also with its leg stuck in a flower.

I wonder how many other arthropods accidentally fall prey to the flowers?!

#bugstodon #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae #milkweed

Peak Anystid dispatches:

1. Whirligig mite (family Anystidae) with aphid—note small droplets of defensive fluid coming from the aphid's butt-spikes (cornicles)
2. Sippppppp
3. Whirligig mite feeding on sidewalk mite (Balaustium, family Erythraeidae)
4. Whirligig mite feeding on another whirligig mite

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

Whirligig mite tug-of-war commenced. (2/2)

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

Whirligig mite tug-of-war commenced. (2/2)

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

Another vignette from Peak Anystid: any mite with a desirable morsel risks moochers trying to steal it for themselves. These two pictures were taken about 5 minutes apart—note how the first mite turns greenish from eating the bug. (1/2)

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

Another vignette from Peak Anystid: any mite with a desirable morsel risks moochers trying to steal it for themselves. These two pictures were taken about 5 minutes apart—note how the first mite turns greenish from eating the bug. (1/2)

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

#DailyMiteVid: whirligig mites (family Anystidae) are happy to eat each other, as you can see from this clip filmed today. I noticed that the mite being eaten seemed to still be alive and moving its limbs; it was only on re-watching the video that I realized it seemed to be cleaning one of its legs!

CW: slightly shaky video moving in & out of focus; mite being altogether too chill about being devoured alive by its fellow

#Mitestodon #MiteBehaviour #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

#DailyMiteVid: whirligig mites (family Anystidae) are happy to eat each other, as you can see from this clip filmed today. I noticed that the mite being eaten seemed to still be alive and moving its limbs; it was only on re-watching the video that I realized it seemed to be cleaning one of its legs!

CW: slightly shaky video moving in & out of focus; mite being altogether too chill about being devoured alive by its fellow

#Mitestodon #MiteBehaviour #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

In other news, we have reached Peak Anystid, that short but precious time when it seems like every leaf has a plump little whirligig mite running around on it. They are avid predators and eating is practically the only time they stay still. Here are several from the garden.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

In other news, we have reached Peak Anystid, that short but precious time when it seems like every leaf has a plump little whirligig mite running around on it. They are avid predators and eating is practically the only time they stay still. Here are several from the garden.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

Happy #ThripsThursday! To everyone except this thrips on a fallen peony petal who was promptly eaten by a whirligig mite. I 🧡 my whirligig mites.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #bugstodon #insects #thrips #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae #Thysanoptera

Happy #ThripsThursday! To everyone except this thrips on a fallen peony petal who was promptly eaten by a whirligig mite. I 🧡 my whirligig mites.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #bugstodon #insects #thrips #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae #Thysanoptera

For #MiteMonday: mites eating things.

1. Long-legged velvet mites (family Erythraeidae, probably _Balaustium_) eating a midge
2. A whirligig mite (family Anystidae) eating a globular springtail
3. A snout mite (family Bdellidae) eating a barklouse

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Erythraeidae #Anystidae #Bdellidae

For #MiteMonday: mites eating things.

1. Long-legged velvet mites (family Erythraeidae, probably _Balaustium_) eating a midge
2. A whirligig mite (family Anystidae) eating a globular springtail
3. A snout mite (family Bdellidae) eating a barklouse

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Erythraeidae #Anystidae #Bdellidae

Belated #MiteMonday: it's the time of year I start carrying a little water dropper bottle for the whirligig mites. I've found it's a reliable way to get them to stay still for photos. 💧

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

Belated #MiteMonday: it's the time of year I start carrying a little water dropper bottle for the whirligig mites. I've found it's a reliable way to get them to stay still for photos. 💧

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

Little red mites of spring!

- A larval sidewalk mite (_Balaustium_) eating pollen
- A young whirligig mite (family Anystidae) eating clover mite eggs (the little reddish balls)
- Sumo mites (_Allothrombium_) wrestling
- and lastly, a clover mite (_Bryobia_), which isn't really that red when full grown but which all of the other mites are frequently misidentified as. They won't be out much longer, they go dormant in the hot months.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Erythraeidae #Anystidae #Trombidiidae #Tetranychidae #Bryobiinae

Little red mites of spring!

- A larval sidewalk mite (_Balaustium_) eating pollen
- A young whirligig mite (family Anystidae) eating clover mite eggs (the little reddish balls)
- Sumo mites (_Allothrombium_) wrestling
- and lastly, a clover mite (_Bryobia_), which isn't really that red when full grown but which all of the other mites are frequently misidentified as. They won't be out much longer, they go dormant in the hot months.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Erythraeidae #Anystidae #Trombidiidae #Tetranychidae #Bryobiinae

#Arachtober 28: the last #MiteMonday of Arachtober! On a rock teeming with clover mites I found several of their frequent predators, whirligig mites (family Anystidae). This one was busy cleaning its feet.

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites • #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

#Arachtober 28: the last #MiteMonday of Arachtober! On a rock teeming with clover mites I found several of their frequent predators, whirligig mites (family Anystidae). This one was busy cleaning its feet.

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites • #Acari #Acariformes #Anystidae

#Arachtober 6: Here's an anystid. They seem to experience a burst of population growth in the fall, not nearly as much as Peak Anystid around June but still noticeable.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites • #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

#Arachtober 6: Here's an anystid. They seem to experience a burst of population growth in the fall, not nearly as much as Peak Anystid around June but still noticeable.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites • #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Anystidae

Peak Anystid is over in my building's garden, but down by the lake yesterday I found plenty of them on burdock plants infested with aphids, which they prey on. Fast and nimble, they were able to steer clear of the feisty _Myrmica rubra_ farming the aphids.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae

#MiteMonday: quartet of whirligig mites eating midges on milkweed down by the lake. Tiny midges proliferate there, and the mites take full advantage. (Yes, I'm getting the most out of Peak Anystid while it lasts!)

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae #macro

Going out in the middle of the day yesterday was a mistake but I did get to see three whirligig mites fighting over a midge. Real _The Good, the Bad and the Ugly_ moment.

#Mitestodon #DailyMitePic #arachnids #mites #MiteBehaviour #Acari #Anystidae

#MiteMonday: an oddly colourless whirligig mite (family Anystidae) feeds on a red _Uroleucon_ aphid. Hmmm… :thonking:

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae #aphids #Aphididae

While watching whirligig mites (family Anystidae) in the garden I actually witnessed two anystids catching prey, something I'd never seen before!

The first one has caught a little yellow globular springtail (family Bourletiellidae). It consumed it in a few seconds and then raced off again. The second one caught some kind of tiny midge, I think. It retreated with its prize to the summit of a drop of water, mindful of the several other anystids on the same leaf, and fed on it for some time.

I feel so honoured to have seen it!

#bugstodon #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae

This morning I found a whirligig mite (family Anystidae) feeding on an aphid. Then a second, slightly smaller mite came by and also started trying to feed on it, and a tug-of-war ensued. And then I tapped the "switch camera" button instead of the "take photo" button because they're way too close to each other.

#bugstodon #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae #selfie

We're approaching Peak Anystid, with multiple plump, predatory little whirligig mites (family Anystidae) running frantically and erratically over every leaf. Here's just a few from one of the building's tiny little milkweed patches.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae #MiteBehaviour

#BREAKING: the first anystid larvae have been spotted swarming over the chain-link fence along Beaty Boulevard!

I have been checking the spruce tree by the Jameson bridge for what I saw before, anystid larvae raiding clover mite rookeries for eggs; no luck yet, but perhaps soon.

Erythraeid larvae have also been out for a while, and today I saw a few clumps of what are probably _Balaustium_ feeding on tree pollen.

Being arachnids, mites have eight legs as adults, but larvae have six.

#MiteMonday #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae #Erythraeidae

#Arachtober 30: one last Arachtober anystid. Warning: kind of shaky/jerky video, so be careful watching if you (like me) sometimes get vertigo from this kind of thing.

Technical note: this video was originally 1080×1080 px and 56 MB. Resized it to 500×500 with ezgif (https://ezgif.com/resize-video) and it's under 5 MB!

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #MiteMonday #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae

#Arachtober 27: The trunk of a regal yellow tree (linden or something similar?) was busy with mites. I found a tiny cobweb spider feeding on a whirligig mite, and a red velvet mite feeding on prey in another cobweb spider's web!

#DailySpiderPic #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #MiteBehaviour #arachnids #spiders #mites #Acari #Anystidae #Trombidiidae #Araneae #Theridiidae

#Arachtober 23 × #MiteMonday: whirligig mites (family Anystidae) are such voracious predators, they are happy to eat their own kind!

#Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae #macro

#Arachtober 17: it's been a nerve-wracking day for me, here's a whirligig mite cleaning its leg. I posted a video a while back, but also got some still photos.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae #macro

#Arachtober 13 (it's still the 13th somewhere!): a fast-moving, red running crab spider (family Philodromidae) eating an equally fast-moving, red whirligig mite (family Anystidae)! From back in July, seen on the Park Dr Reservation Trail, southwest of the Evergreen Brick Works.

Possibly _Philodromus rufus_? I've only identified a _Philodromus_ to species like, once.

#DailySpiderPic #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #spiders #mites #Araneae #Philodromidae #Acari #Anystidae

#Arachtober 11: #Mosstodon × #Mitestodon. Didn't expect to find much on the City Hall green roof, but got a surprise when I turned over a loose clump of moss!

#DailyMitePic #arachnids #mites #Acari #Anystidae #macro