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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Mites and Ticks (Acari) » Acariformes » Astigs (Astigmata) » Acaridia » Acaroidea » Acaridae » Boletoglyphus » Boletoglyphus ornatus
Photo#97295
Mites on Forked Fungus Beetle - Boletoglyphus ornatus
Copyright © 2007 Jim McClarin

Mites on Forked Fungus Beetle - Boletoglyphus ornatus
Merrimack, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA
This is a duplicate image for the Acari section. This male Forked Fungus Beetle, Bolitoherus cornutus wears a living bodysuit of tiny, odd-colored mites. Because I have never seen mites of quite this appearance I wonder if there could be a mite species unique to B. cornutus.

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Mites on Forked Fungus Beetle - Boletoglyphus ornatus Mites on Forked Fungus Beetle - Boletoglyphus ornatus Mites on Forked Fungus Beetle - Boletoglyphus ornatus
Contributed by Jim McClarin on 5 March, 2007 - 8:38am
Last updated 28 August, 2008 - 4:46pm

Moved
Moved from Mites and Ticks.
… Jim McClarin, 28 August, 2008 - 4:46pm

The abundant mites are phoret
The abundant mites are phoretic deutonymphs of Boletoglyphus ornatus in the family Acaridae. Feeding forms inhabit the spore tubes of the polypore, Ganoderma applanatum and eat spores. Deutonymphs are exclusively phoretic on Bolitotherus cornutus, as are several other species of mites living in this fungus. - Barry
… Barry M. OConnor, 28 August, 2008 - 1:25pm

 
I wondered...
Thanks for the species name and the confirmation, Barry! I'll have to check future B. cornutus for other Ganoderma mite species.
… Jim McClarin, 28 August, 2008 - 4:43pm

Oh my god...
... I've never seen so many mites on one insect before...
:O
… Jonas Insinga, 5 July, 2008 - 8:57am

 
Just the image
makes me start scratching, lol!
… Jim McClarin, 5 July, 2008 - 9:57am

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