What the heck is this?

I wasn't sure where to post this so I figured General would be appropriate.

So here I am, sitting in my shop, looking at my new toy that arrived yesterday. It's a USB 200X Microscope. I will never ever have a practical use for it, but the inner child in me has always wanted one.
In Florida, we have an abundance of several things...citrus, sunshine, sand, and bugs. I noticed one of the latter on the sidewalk when I was fetching the mail.

It's a "common" pincher-bug, about 1/2" long, maybe.

I threw him under the scope & zoomed in.

In the video, you can see the subjects size in relationship to a quarter. Then I zoomed in further. Smaller than the naked eye can see - there were a dozen or so SMALLER "bug" things on THIS bug. What are these? Mites?
After seeing this on the bug, I feel itchy all over.

Here's the link www.youtube.com...

wow it is either mites or babies. I am wondering if hatched babies remain on the underside of the parent?
Interesting.

reply to post by sykickvision


can you get a screen shot... your link is not working for me

Hi there,

I'm not an entomologist so I can't give you a definitive answer. Seems like they'd be some kind of parasite but that's about all I could guess.

However, it reminds me of this saying:
"Big fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite them, and little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum."

Regards,

Mike

I guess you don't want to know about Demodex Mites then...kind of makes me wonder what's up when i get one of those crazy itches for no apparent reason.

Very nice pictures though!

Im not for sure but there are def. little bugs on the little bug.You don't think it could be babies of the bug??

It's no babies, these are almost crablike...their legs stick out from the front of them.

It r babies.

2nd

Well, I vote some kind of mite, but you can't be too sure. I don't like it.

Some sort of parasitic mite from what I've googled.

I don't like it either.

Esp since they survived a bath of 97% alcohol.

Bleach is next. Then I'm showering.

They look like mites but they are the nymphs (babies) of the earwig. Judging from the pictures they haven't moulted yet, so they are just hatched, which is why they don't look much like the mother. Most insects don't look after their offspring in this way, a trait more common to larger arthropods such as Scorpions.

Great pics.

Most likely a mite, I reckon.

reply to post by sykickvision


A quick google got me to thinking it was Histiostomatidae link they live on live earwigs and eat dead ones...

Now I am itchy all over

I won't even hazard a guess.

Just wanted to say thanks for the cool diversion. Very cool toy... I am jealous.

reply to post by davespanners


JACKPOT!!!! That's EXACTLY what they are. The pics I posted only don't do the lil' bugger justice. Once it's crawling around you can see how mite/crablike they are.

Awesome.

I'll be making another video of various objects.