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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Mites and Ticks (Acari) » Parasitiformes » Mesostigs (Mesostigmata) » Uropodina » Uropodoidea » Uropodidae

Photo#917894

Copyright © 2014 Ashley Bradford

Hitchhikers

Wheaton Regional Park, Wheaton, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
May 3, 2014
Size: .7mm

I noticed these tiny mites attached to this beetle when I went to photograph it. The beetle was found under bark on a decaying log. It appears that there are tinier mites as well, one of which is on one of the larger mites. Are these young of those, or a different species? The larger mites appear to be attached to the beetle by "stems".

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Contributed by Ashley Bradford on 7 May, 2014 - 11:49pm
Last updated 8 July, 2015 - 4:24pm

The smaller mites

... appear to be Histiostoma sp., based on the rearward pointed legs:

… Edward L. Ruden, 9 January, 2021 - 9:26pm

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Moved

Moved from Mites and Ticks.

… Ashley Bradford, 12 May, 2014 - 9:55am

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Uropodids

Hi Ashley:

Great photos! The mites on stalks are nymphs of the mesostigmatan family Uropodidae. They are phoretic on larger-bodied arthropods and attach by means of a pedicel of translucent material that the mite extrudes from its anus. The smaller mites are not the same species, and may be members of the Astigmata.

Cheers,
Heather

… Heather Proctor, 10 May, 2014 - 6:36pm

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Thanks so much!

Interesting information - I'm glad to know they're only phoretic, though how do they eat? What a strange life!

… Ashley Bradford, 12 May, 2014 - 9:56am

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They are purely phoretic and

They are purely phoretic and non-feeding in this stage, but when the host gets to a nice spot (most likely some rotting organic matter), the mites will dismount, moult to the next stage, and feed on nematodes and maybe fungi in the surrounding medium.

… Heather Proctor, 12 May, 2014 - 10:23am

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Weird!

Thanks for the details! :)

… Ashley Bradford, 12 May, 2014 - 10:28am

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