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Photo#36851
red-rump mite - Penthaleus major

red-rump mite - Penthaleus major
Hudson, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA
October 29, 2005
Size: < 1 mm body
A dozen or more of these tiny mites had congregated under leaves under an exterior aluminum door theshhold. I collected several with the licked-finger technique, putting them into my shirtpocket pill vial that I try to always carry for such purposes. All I saw by eye was a tiny dark thing. Magnification revealed the red legs and rump.

Moved
Moved from Blue Oat Mites.

Moved
Moved from Mites and Ticks.

Penthaleidae
Probably Penthaleus.

Moved
Moved from Mites.

must try
the licked-finger technique! yummy.
neat looking mite.

 
Uhhh...
Yes I *do* get an occasional insect on my tongue that I was sure had gotten into the vial but had in reality remained glued to my finger with spit. The small darkling beetles and some of the ground beetles leave their mark on your taste buds too.

Then there's the story of the young Charles Darwin having turned over a rock or something looking for beetles, discovering that he had too few hands with which to grab beetles and hold onto them at the same time, and popping a beetle into his mouth temporarily to free up a hand. Unfortunately for him, it was a Bombadier Beetle that decided it was under attack and set off a charge in his mouth.

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