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#phoreticmites — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #phoreticmites, aggregated by home.social.

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  1. Female #antalates can serve as #vectors for introducing #phoreticorganisms, such as #mites, from an established #colony into a newly founded #nest. Hitching a ride on a #youngqueen can be a key #dispersalstrategy for #myrmecophilous #phoreticmites.
    However, some #phoretic species also utilize other routes, such as via #workerants.
    © #StefanFWirth

    Support my work: ko-fi.com/sfwirth

    Reading:
    H. Klompen & K. U. Campbell (2024)
    doi.org/10.1007/s00040-024-010

    #Photos:
    ©S. F. Wirth, L. niger #queen

  2. @nev it can happen that for example depending on the #mobility of the #beetle species and its #strategy to perform its #selfcleaning #behaviors that #phoretic and #parasitic #mites can be limited to small numbers only on an even relatively large #beetle. Most Scarabaeidae develop in #soilhabitats. But when it is #decayingwood or #compost, then this improves the probability that it has associations with phoretic mites. In beetles, #phoreticmites can sometimes be hidden under the elytrae.

  3. RE: mastodon.social/@sflorg/115724

    In a study different #behaviors in #anthosts and #antparasites between populations of each of them were discovered being related i.a. to #temperature and humidity and thus on the effects of #climaticchange, based on these species: the "slave-making ant" #Temnothorax americanus, and its host, the ant Temnothorax longispinosus (#Myrmicinae).

    In that context I would be interested in the climate change effects on non-ant parasites and commensals, such as #phoreticmites.
    © S.F. Wirth