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Photo#794796
What's on this Grasshopper? - Eutrombidium

What's on this Grasshopper? - Eutrombidium
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, USA
June 29, 2013
Mites?

Moved
Moved from Mites and Ticks.

Terrestrial parasitengones
The largest group of mites--Parasitengona--are characterized by their life history... in that larvae are parasitic on other arthropods (except chiggers, which attack vertebrates), then they "pupate" into a predatory nymphal stage, and then "pupate" again into a similar looking adult stage. Mites in this large group include annoying chiggers, beautiful water mites, and the familiar velvet mites and relatives. In short, the mites in your photo are terrestrial parasitengone larvae.

Unfortunately, grasshoppers are a favorite host among many groups of parasitengones... so a real identification cannot be offered. In our area, even several families attack grasshoppers: Erythraeidae, Trombidiidae, and Microtrombidiidae (Eutrombidiinae) are the most common. However, based on the size of the larvae in your photo, and the fact that so few larval images are in the guide page, I'm moving this photo to Eutrombidium. If you find more, you should try rearing them out to see what the nymphs look like!

 
Cool.
Thanks. But how does one rear out parasitic mites?

 
Parenting parasitengones
You can gently remove them from a host if they are engorged like the ones in your photo... or just keep the host alive and wait for the larva to fall off. Put the larva into a sealed container with lots of paper towels for the animal to crawl in, and add a few drops of water. This is very important: do not over water! The enemy of rearing mites is fungus. If it is too damp in the container, fungus will kill your pet.

Condensation should be wiped off the jar. If you notice fungus, replace the paper towels frequently. The process usually takes a 2-3 weeks. Once you have nymphs, photograph them and post the results. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Could be mites
I think parasite eggs would not be so numerous, so mites seems likely.

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