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Photo#1175048
Tiny White Bug - Linopodes

Tiny White Bug - Linopodes
Bellevue, King County, Washington, USA
December 16, 2015
Very tiny bugs, wondering if some type of springtail nymph? Finding them frequently when I look at areas of slime mold, and sometimes near true fungi. I can barely even see them with my eyes, and guessing there body is under 1/32 of an inch or so. At first I thought they had extremely long legs, but looks like they are indeed antennae. I've seen smaller-still little white things, almost looking like young, except legs much shorter proportionally, and they have antennae that are barely noticeable. Sometimes easiest to observe them just beyond the sight horizon if the background is dark, and these antennae are flapping all about and can be seen using a flashlight to highlight them. Seeing them mainly after dark, but have not tried looking for them midday. Also see globular and other springtails much much less often in these areas.

NOTE: It looks like they are on ice, but this is slime mold buildup over decaying wood on the roof of a small cavern entrance to an old growth log about 3' in diameter (cavern opening about 8" in diameter)

Images of this individual: tag all
Tiny White Bug - Linopodes Linopedes sp. - Linopodes

Moved
Moved from Mites and Ticks.

Difficult Identification
Well these guys are all over the place near the slime mold. and in more than one location near slime mold and some other fungi. Other than a few other springtails (mostly globular), they out-number everything 10-1 if that helps.

Being so tiny, and on hte move, and hardly able to see them through the view finder for any manual focus, it's been hit-n-miss.

I'd like to get a macro, but needs to be something I can carry around, can hand-hold without a tripod, etc. That might give me some benefit with these really small guys. Suggestions welcome (I shoot a Canon Rebel T6i at present, but considering getting a second camera)

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

I'm not sure how far the ID can be taken from this shot, but let's see what the experts have to say.

 
Prostigmata: Eupodidae/Cocceupodidae: Linopodes
Mites of the genus Linopodes have very long antenniform first legs. I see that Bugguide has placed them in the new family Cocceupodidae instead of its original Eupodidae. I'm not sure how well accepted that split is, but I'm not an expert on the Eupodina.

 
Linopodes sp.
Thanks. I had just come to the conclusion that they were likely mites, after determining with some certaintly that they did have 8 legs, appearing to use 6 for locomotion, and 2 for sensing, or I've seen it suggested these might be use for feeding (retrieving spores). I'm adding one better picture I found, that also shows other parts near the head (short antennae, mouth parts, or something else?), and a link to a few more. 90% of those I'm seeing seem a definitive white, although I've spotted a few that seem a light tan or pink. Of course, as this scale, and using a flash, the apparent color I'm seeing may not be completely accurate.
Linopodes sp. Images

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