For #FossilFriday I'd like to introduce y'all to Protacarus - a fossil #mite (!?) from the ~410 million year old Rhynie Chert, #Scotland. This little #arachnid is a member of a group that is still around today (Endeostigmata, possibly in the family Alycidae). Some modern examples of this family eat nematode worms - which we also have preserved in Rhynie, believe it or not. Perhaps what this little dude/tte did for food?

#science #Palaeontology #Paleontology #acarology #fossil

Scientific paper beg: anyone have institutional access to #Zootaxa? I'd love to take a look at this monograph about worldwide hard tick distribution. :ClosedAccess: https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5251.1.1

(Is there a hashtag/group people use for this? Let me know!)

#entomology #acarology

OK, how many mistakes can you find? Screenshot is from Spartan Mosquito's Amazon page and shows the organisms repelled by its GO! spray (picaridin). #TaxonomyFail #entomology #insect #acarology #arthropod #nature #repellent #fly #Diptera #mosquitoes #ticks #chiggers #medical

"An unusual record of apparent parasitism of a mite by a trombidiine larva (Hoplothrombium quinquescutatum Ewing) is all the more remarkable in that the parasitized mite, an oribatid, was found in the stomach of a toad (Ewing 1925, Thor and Willmann 1947)."

Just an example of the fun facts in Krantz' book. Looking forward to wowing unsuspecting people at the Christmas gatherings.

#acarology #mites

@LyndaDelph I should have tried some tags 😃
#acarology #mites #mitestodon can anyone advise on the possible mites on the above beetle?

"An unusual record of apparent parasitism of a mite by a trombidiine larva (Hoplothrombium quinquescutatum Ewing) is all
the more remarkable in that the parasitized mite, an oribatid, was found in the stomach of a toad (Ewing 1925, Thor and Willmann 1947)."

Just an example of the fun facts in Krantz' book. Looking forward to wowing unsuspecting people at the Christmas gatherings.

#acarology #mites

Bought myself an old copy of "A Manual of Acarology" so I can learn something about #mites. #acarology #Acari #arachnid

If you'd like to see a larval velvet mite, here's one attached to a robber fly. A rather common photobomber of arthropods pics. #entomology #insect #mite #acarology #arachnid https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/14527069

Velvet mite (Trombidium, I think) that I found earlier this week after a warm rain. Predatory as adults but larval stages are typically ectoparasitic on insects, spiders, harvestman, and pseudoscorpions. You can occasionally find velvet mite plush toys on Etsy. #acarology #entomology #mites #arachnids

@bugid More pics here in case anyone is willing to take a look on #inaturalist. They seemed to having such a good time. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/121397761 #mites #arachnids #acarology