#erythraeidae — Public Fediverse posts

#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

gotta stay on brand

here's a sidewalk mite (_Balaustium_) feeding on some predatory mite, Rhagidiidae or Cunaxidae or thereabouts; and an _Admestina_ jumping spider I found near pine trees in a nearby park. I find such interesting arthropods around pines that I don't see anywhere else.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #DailySpiderPic #arachnids #mites #spiders #JumpingSpiders #Acari #Acariformes #Erythraeidae #Araneae #Salticidae

Down by the lake I noticed a mite that seemed small for a trombidiid and large for an erythraeid…only on looking more closely did I notice that its dark red body had a gorgeous iridescent blue-green sheen! I think this may be a _Balaustium_ species, but not one of the ones I usually see. I've only seen this kind once before!

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

The sidewalk mites (_Balaustium_) that swarm over the ground this time of year primarily eat pollen, but they will also scavenge dead bugs (I do not think they are actually predatory). This horde has found an ant pupa, I think?

I am fascinated by this behaviour and try to catch it at least once every summer.

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #MiteBehaviour #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Parasitengona #Erythraeidae

#MiteMonday: ever look down and see a bunch of little red guys on the pavement or whatever? Chances are they're long-legged velvet mites (family Erythraeidae) in the genus _Balaustium_. Practically all of their relatives are parasitic on other arthropods as larvae and predatory as adults, but some common _Balaustium_ species are lifelong pollen-eaters. Here's one eating peony pollen I put down.

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Acariformes #Parasitengona #Erythraeidae

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

Bonus #MiteMonday: a _Balaustium_ sidewalk mite feeding on pollen from a horse-chestnut flower (which I put down to attract them and get photos).

These mites can be found in great numbers this time of year, very visible on surfaces like concrete and bricks, hence the name. As well as pollen and sap I've seen them feeding on dead bugs. Some are purely raspberry-red, others have this longer white coat or just white patches, others have a gorgeous blue-green iridescent sheen.

The pair of red protuberances are not eyes but special structures called urnulae, which secrete various useful substances like a defensive chemical/alarm pheromone, and a "waterproofing" compound that prevents their cuticle from drying out (useful as they spend a lot of time running around in the sun).

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acariformes #Erythraeidae

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 23: from June, a long-legged velvet mite (family Erythraeidae) climbs into a silk retreat over the exuvia (molted exoskeleton) of the jumping spider (family Salticidae) that previously occupied it. This is not the first time I have seen mites using old spider retreats for shelter!

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #MiteBehaviour #DailySpiderPic #SpidersOfMastodon #JumpingSpiders #spiders • #Acari #Acariformes #Erythraeidae #Araneae #Salticidae

#Arachtober 21: Happy #MiteMonday! Here's a snout mite (family Bdellidae) snacking on a long-legged velvet mite (family Erythraeidae). Taken back in June.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites • #Acari #Acariformes #Prostigmata #Bdellidae #Erythraeidae

#Arachtober 16: since it's #WeevilWednesday, here's an older photo of mine (posted here: https://flipping.rocks/@nev/110585316967094045), a little red long-legged velvet mite (family Erythraeidae) that in its frantic scurrying about ended up climbing over this slower-moving weevil a few times. I think the weevil is one of the billbugs, genus _Sphenophorus_ (https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/211468-Sphenophorus).

Mites are well known for phoresy (riding on other animals), but this was clearly an accidental and temporary case.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #insects #beetles #weevils • #Acari #Acariformes #Erythraeidae #Coleoptera #Curculionidae

🎶 It's just another mite, mite Monday… 🎶

The two little bumps on this _Balaustium_ sidewalk mite's head are organs called urnulae. For a very long time we didn't know what they were for. It was only in the past few decades that scientists learned the urnulae secreted chemicals that could deter insect attacks and alert fellow mites to danger: https://doi.org/10.1080/01647950608684438 :ClosedAccess: / https://sci-hub.se/10.1080/01647950608684438 :scihub:

#MiteMonday #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #MiteBehaviour • #Acari #Erythraeidae

#MiteMonday: _Balaustium_ sidewalk mites feast on pollen from a fallen flower.

#Mitestodon #bugstodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae

#MiteMonday: pollen-eating adult _Balaustium_ mites are starting to appear, swarming over rocks and concrete. These ones are feeding on fallen willow blossoms.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae

#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 31: I made it! I really managed to post something every day! It was hard deciding what to close out the month with, but I'm going with one of my favourite arachnid observations this year, a long-legged velvet mite (family Erythraeidae) with a gorgeous iridescent blue-green sheen.

:inaturalist: #iNaturalist: https://inaturalist.ca/observations/172094791

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #macro

tappy tappy
tappy tappy

#MiteMonday #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #macro

#MiteMonday: found this little erythraeid(?) on the folding table in the garden. It seems different from the Balaustium I've seen before, and Callidosomatinae come to mind, but that's just a wild and probably wrong guess.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #macro

Taken solstice day down by the lake. I watched these sidewalk mites chasing each other away from a dead midge, until only one was left still feeding—at which point it and the midge were blown away in the breeze.

As I've previously mentioned, try putting "Yakety Sax" on in the background for the full comedic effect.

YouTube version (HD, with sound, not that it makes a huge difference): https://youtu.be/00a92QNqY4g

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #MiteBehaviour #macro

Not quite in time for #MiteMonday: here's some video I took a few weeks back of a frenzied horde of sidewalk mites (_Balaustium_) feeding on some bit of dead bug/plant stuff. I highly suggest playing "Yakety Sax" in the background while you watch this. https://youtu.be/RU5aZOqWhus

#DailyMiteVid #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #macro

I'm so happy people are learning about the iridescent erythraeids—here are some more stunning examples from the family.

Rainbowia imperator: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/60164194
This unidentified possible Rainbowia: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124430411
The sparkly(!) Balaustium leanderi: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69508999
And check out the fluffy legwarmers of the Eatoniana mites, like this Eatoniana namaqua: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/65586052

#Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae

Today I found a big iridescent blue-green-red erythraeid!!! I knew they were out there but never imagined finding one myself.

It was on a thistle and it was very painful holding the plant to take photos but it was totally worth it.

#ArthroBeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #Balaustiinae #macro #lifer

#MiteMonday: a curious find—a whole bunch of long-legged velvet mites (family Erythraeidae) sheltering under the silk of an abandoned spider's retreat in a cranny of rock. Normally they cluster under limestone flakes and such.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #macro

"Onward, noble steed!"

A long-legged velvet mite scrambling around the lakeside boardwalk ended up climbing onto this placid weevil several times.

#WeevilWednesday #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #insects #beetles #weevils #Coleoptera #Curculionidae

Just in under the wire for #MiteMonday: long-legged velvet mites (family Erythraeidae, probably _Balaustium_) feeding on pollen which I believe fell off a honey locust tree?

#ArthroBeauty #Mitestodon #MiteBehaviour #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #macro

Sidewalk mites (_Balaustium_) feeding on pollen. You can see their pollen-covered legs better in the second pic.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #macro

Yesterday I found tiny juvenile erythraeids (long-legged velvet mites) on the rocks at High Park and today I found a couple of equally tiny juvenile anystids (whirligig mites) in my building's garden! IT BEGINS

You can tell they're not fully grown yet because they only have six legs—they will have eight legs as adults, like all arachnids.

#Mitestodon #mites #arachnids #Acari #Erythraeidae #Anystidae #Springwatch #macro