Top Tweets for #phoretic

9 months ago

Please like my new YouTube #video, which shows interesting #interactions between #arthropods on a #dandelion #inflorescence: https://t.co/vl1pkclz5K It's about a #phoretic #mite that is persistently waiting on an inflorescence for a #transport opportunity. #Phoresy, also known as #phoresis, is a life-style strategy in which a smaller organism relies on being transported by a larger organism to #travel from one #habitat to the next. This strategy occurs in various #mitetaxa, including the #Mesostigmata, the Trombidiformes, the paraphyletic Oribatida, and the #Astigmata. The mite featured in my video belongs to the Mesostigmata and extends the phoretic strategy by relying on leaving a host and essentially waiting at a #transferstation for a new opportunity to get on another host. The dandelion inflorescence can be a #complexhabitat with astonishing #biodiversity. Arthropods such as insects are particularly common. Some species remain there permanently, feeding on the petals and reproducing there; others are only brief visitors seeking #nectar and pollen. At the end of April 2025, I noticed that dandelions were predominantly #blooming in a dry #meadow in the Rehberge #urbanpark in #Berlin. The #moth #Pyrausta #despicata was often seen on the inflorescences, feeding on nectar. I originally wanted to document this with video shots from many #closeup #perspectives. However, I was unexpectedly confronted with interactions between three different arthropods, which I documented in my video. A mite of the #Parasitidae (Mesostigmata), possibly of the genus #Parasitellus, initially waited motionless at the edge of the inflorescence before seemingly launching an attack against the significantly larger moth. The moth reacted to the touch with a sudden, abrupt recoil. What was the mite doing there and why did it attack the moth? The apparent attack was in reality the mite testing the moth to see if it could be a suitable carrier. With hair-like sensory organs on its legs, the mite quickly recognized that the moth was unsuitable as a carrier. This is because mites of the Parasitidae (Mesostigmata), in particular the genus Parasitellus, use the inflorescence as a transfer station from one carrier to the next. This strategy is called phoresy and was closer explained abive. Mites of the genus Parasitellus normally live in bumblebee nests. To spread from nest to nest, bumblebees are used as carriers. Since the same bumblebee will always fly to its own nest, the mite descends while its carrier visits a flower and waits there for a new carrier from another nest. The moth needs to fear dangerous predators, as it is helplessly exposed while feeding on a flowerhead. For this reason the moth reacts with abrupt evasive maneuvers as soon as it feels touched by another animal. It makes no difference to it whether it is touched by a mite searching for its carrier or by the beetle Olibrus bicolor that accidentally comes too close. Numerous predators use flowers to overpower unsuspecting prey. These include, for example, free hunting crab spiders (Thomisidae) or hornets (Vespidae, Hymenoptera). But that's not all, the moth is also in danger when taking flight from the inflorescence, for example from the orb web of the #spider #Tetragnatha cf. extensa, which can be seen at the beginning of my video #documentation. The authors J. M. Kolster et al. (2024) investigated the host range of mites of the genus Parasitellus that are associated with wild bees (Apiformes). They used DNA data from the mites, i.a.. to determine their #hostspecificity, which they found to be restricted to bumblebees of the genus #Bombus ©#StefanFWirth, April/September 2025, Berlin Reference J. M. Kolster et al. (2024): https://t.co/MAYwtZWjw9 Photos: Video frames of my YouTube Video about a Parasitidae mite on a inflorescence of dandelion: a) dandelion b) Head detail in side view of moth Pyrausta despicata c) Moth P. despicata d) Mite of Parasitidae approaching P. despicata

wirthstef's tweet photo. Please like my new YouTube #video, which shows interesting #interactions between #arthropods on a #dandelion #inflorescence:
https://t.co/vl1pkclz5K

It's about a #phoretic #mite that is persistently waiting on an inflorescence for a #transport opportunity. #Phoresy, also known as #phoresis, is a life-style strategy in which a smaller organism relies on being transported by a larger organism to #travel from one #habitat to the next. This strategy occurs in various #mitetaxa, including the #Mesostigmata, the Trombidiformes, the paraphyletic Oribatida, and the #Astigmata.
The mite featured in my video belongs to the Mesostigmata and extends the phoretic strategy by relying on leaving a host and essentially waiting at a #transferstation for a new opportunity to get on another host.

The dandelion inflorescence can be a #complexhabitat with astonishing #biodiversity. Arthropods such as insects are particularly common. Some species remain there permanently, feeding on the petals and reproducing there; others are only brief visitors seeking #nectar and pollen.
At the end of April 2025, I noticed that dandelions were predominantly #blooming in a dry #meadow in the Rehberge #urbanpark in #Berlin. The #moth #Pyrausta #despicata was often seen on the inflorescences, feeding on nectar.
I originally wanted to document this with video shots from many #closeup #perspectives. However, I was unexpectedly confronted with interactions between three different arthropods, which I documented in my video.
A mite of the #Parasitidae (Mesostigmata), possibly of the genus #Parasitellus, initially waited motionless at the edge of the inflorescence before seemingly launching an attack against the significantly larger moth. The moth reacted to the touch with a sudden, abrupt recoil.

What was the mite doing there and why did it attack the moth? The apparent attack was in reality the mite testing the moth to see if it could be a suitable carrier. With hair-like sensory organs on its legs, the mite quickly recognized that the moth was unsuitable as a carrier. This is because mites of the Parasitidae (Mesostigmata), in particular the genus Parasitellus, use the inflorescence as a transfer station from one carrier to the next. This strategy is called phoresy and was closer explained abive. Mites of the genus Parasitellus normally live in bumblebee nests. To spread from nest to nest, bumblebees are used as carriers. Since the same bumblebee will always fly to its own nest, the mite descends while its carrier visits a flower and waits there for a new carrier from another nest.

The moth needs to fear dangerous predators, as it is helplessly exposed while feeding on a flowerhead. For this reason the moth reacts with abrupt evasive maneuvers as soon as it feels touched by another animal. It makes no difference to it whether it is touched by a mite searching for its carrier or by the beetle Olibrus bicolor that accidentally comes too close. Numerous predators use flowers to overpower unsuspecting prey. These include, for example, free hunting crab spiders (Thomisidae) or hornets (Vespidae, Hymenoptera). But that's not all, the moth is also in danger when taking flight from the inflorescence, for example from the orb web of the #spider #Tetragnatha cf. extensa, which can be seen at the beginning of my video #documentation.

The authors J. M. Kolster et al. (2024) investigated the host range of mites of the genus Parasitellus that are associated with wild bees (Apiformes). They used DNA data from the mites, i.a.. to determine their #hostspecificity, which they found to be restricted to bumblebees of the genus #Bombus

©#StefanFWirth, April/September 2025, Berlin

Reference

J. M. Kolster et al. (2024):
https://t.co/MAYwtZWjw9

Photos:
Video frames of my YouTube Video about a Parasitidae mite on a inflorescence of dandelion:
a) dandelion
b) Head detail in side view of moth Pyrausta despicata
c) Moth P. despicata
d) Mite of Parasitidae approaching P. despicata

255

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

about 2 years ago

#Lemontree #Citrus × #limon, its fruits, their insecticidal effect, about #endophytic organisms and the #rottingfruits as habitat for #phoretic mites (#Histiostomatidae). © #StefanFWirth Berlin2024 My #blog on #biologe + #literature https://t.co/H1PRC1nkSq Photos © S. F. Wirth

wirthstef's tweet photo. #Lemontree #Citrus × #limon, its fruits, their insecticidal effect, about #endophytic organisms and the #rottingfruits as habitat for #phoretic mites (#Histiostomatidae).
© #StefanFWirth Berlin2024

My #blog on #biologe + #literature
https://t.co/H1PRC1nkSq

Photos © S. F. Wirth https://t.co/IUo7Er91yq

232

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

almost 3 years ago

#Beetles and their #phoretic #mites: Beetles of the #Passalidae (Scarabaeoidea) represent a biological peculiarity within the Coleoptera: they form #social colonies (better subsocial mostly focused in #broodcare), in which all stages of development live in a tunnel system in wood. The beetles are wood eaters and prepare crushed wood mixed with saliva for their brood. As in the social Hymenoptera, the burrow systems of the Passalidae are attractive habitats for phoretic #nematodes and mites. The advantage for phoretic organisms in nests of social insects is that such a nest has a variety of tiny microhabitats that can serve as a suitable development site for mites and nematodes. For the phoretic stage of #distribution, this means living in a perfectly developed "subway system" , where there is always a "train line" that heads for the nearest suitable microhabitat, if you as a mite are lucky you might even catch a taxi shuttle that takes you without a stopover directly to the final destination. Because phoretic organisms such as mites are adapted through #evolution to attach to larger insects or arthropods by means of a dispersal stage with the sole aim of being dispersed by them. Different stages in different taxa of mites have become specialized in the dispersal mode, for example deutonymphs or adult animals. Phoretic mites can usually be recognized by the fact that they do not feed on their #hosts. #Development and #feeding take place at the target site where the mite leaves its carrier, but note: in case they indeed leave the living transporter again (see further below) . On beetles of the Passalidae, phoretic mites have been described from different taxa, namely members of the #Mesostigmata (#Parasitiformes), the Paraphyletic #Oribatida (Acariformes, Sarcoptiformes) and #Astigmata, e. g. #Canestriniidae or #Histiostomatidae (#Acariformes, #Sarcoptiformes). I assume that the diversity of mites in individual species of the Passalidae is still largely unexplored. Due to their size, mites of the #Megisthanidae (Mesotigmata) are particularly conspicuous on adult Passalidae. The predatory mites need areas with beetle frass for their development. Life-cycle information on #Megisthanus #floridanus was published by Butler & Hunter (1968): https://t.co/grjEMq0JCT But also #Klinckowstroemiidae represent Mesostigmata phoretically on Passalidae, as e.g. published by J. Schuster et al. (2023): https://t.co/JEnk3vx9xG Mites of the Oribatida were not closer studied for a long time in regard of #phoresy as that ability was only poorly known. A significant pioneering work is by R. Norten (1980). Since then only few findings on phoretic Oribatida were published, e.g.on #Paraleius #leontonychus on #barkbeetles, where I co-authored: Pernek et al. (2011): https://t.co/oH3aEsfRTr Meanwhile the recognition of phoretic oribatids increased and new species were even described from Passalidae as in Ermilov (2019): https://t.co/TyeRxvRZFY As is all too often the case in modern acarological research, there is a lack of biological data on all those mite species that do not appear as human pests. Because actually, as in the 1968 paper cited above, it would have to be examined under laboratory conditions where exactly the mites actually continue to develop to understand their #lifestyle. Some of the mites declared as phoretic might be #necromenic instead, which derived from phoresy: as I described for #Histiostoma #polypori (Histiostomatidae, Astigmata) in #earwig nests (2009): https://t.co/ka8P4KbGcm Astigmata e.g. found on Passalidae: Canestriniidae in the paper by Summers & Schuster (1981): https://t.co/9XklwXJJuu Also #Acaridae and Histiostomatidae were found on #Mexican Passalidae, paper by P. L. Barrios-Torres et al. (2015): https://t.co/q14vlFpKGu © #StefanFWirth Berlin 2023 Photo: Adult Bessbug (#Odontotaenius #disjunctus), author PiccoloNamek, 2005, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

wirthstef's tweet photo. #Beetles and their #phoretic #mites: Beetles of the #Passalidae (Scarabaeoidea) represent a biological peculiarity within the Coleoptera: they form #social colonies (better subsocial mostly focused in #broodcare), in which all stages of development live in a tunnel system in wood. The beetles are wood eaters and prepare crushed wood mixed with saliva for their brood. As in the social Hymenoptera, the burrow systems of the Passalidae are attractive habitats for phoretic #nematodes and mites.

The advantage for phoretic organisms in nests of social insects is that such a nest has a variety of tiny microhabitats that can serve as a suitable development site for mites and nematodes. For the phoretic stage of #distribution, this means living in a perfectly developed "subway system" , where there is always a "train line" that heads for the nearest suitable microhabitat, if you as a mite are lucky you might even catch a taxi shuttle that takes you without a stopover directly to the final destination. Because phoretic organisms such as mites are adapted through #evolution to attach to larger insects or arthropods by means of a dispersal stage with the sole aim of being dispersed by them. Different stages in different taxa of mites have become specialized in the dispersal mode, for example deutonymphs or adult animals.

Phoretic mites can usually be recognized by the fact that they do not feed on their #hosts. #Development and #feeding take place at the target site where the mite leaves its carrier, but note: in case they indeed leave the living transporter again (see further below) .

On beetles of the Passalidae, phoretic mites have been described from different taxa, namely members of the #Mesostigmata (#Parasitiformes), the Paraphyletic #Oribatida (Acariformes, Sarcoptiformes) and #Astigmata, e. g. #Canestriniidae or #Histiostomatidae (#Acariformes, #Sarcoptiformes). I assume that the diversity of mites in individual species of the Passalidae is still largely unexplored.

Due to their size, mites of the #Megisthanidae (Mesotigmata) are particularly conspicuous on adult Passalidae. The predatory mites need areas with beetle frass for their development. Life-cycle information on #Megisthanus #floridanus was published by Butler & Hunter (1968): https://t.co/grjEMq0JCT
But also #Klinckowstroemiidae represent Mesostigmata phoretically on Passalidae, as e.g. published by J. Schuster et al. (2023): https://t.co/JEnk3vx9xG

Mites of the Oribatida were not closer studied for a long time in regard of #phoresy as that ability was only poorly known. A significant pioneering work is by R. Norten (1980). Since then only few findings on phoretic Oribatida were published, e.g.on #Paraleius #leontonychus on #barkbeetles, where I co-authored: Pernek et al. (2011): https://t.co/oH3aEsfRTr
Meanwhile the recognition of phoretic oribatids increased and new species were even described from Passalidae as in Ermilov (2019): https://t.co/TyeRxvRZFY

As is all too often the case in modern acarological research, there is a lack of biological data on all those mite species that do not appear as human pests. Because actually, as in the 1968 paper cited above, it would have to be examined under laboratory conditions where exactly the mites actually continue to develop to understand their #lifestyle.

Some of the mites declared as phoretic might be #necromenic instead, which derived from phoresy: as I described for #Histiostoma #polypori (Histiostomatidae, Astigmata) in #earwig nests (2009): https://t.co/ka8P4KbGcm

Astigmata e.g. found on Passalidae: Canestriniidae in the paper by Summers & Schuster (1981): https://t.co/9XklwXJJuu
Also #Acaridae and Histiostomatidae were found on #Mexican Passalidae, paper by P. L. Barrios-Torres et al. (2015): https://t.co/q14vlFpKGu

© #StefanFWirth Berlin 2023

Photo: Adult Bessbug (#Odontotaenius #disjunctus), author PiccoloNamek, 2005, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

603

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

almost 3 years ago

Let's revisit the #interaction between #phoretic #mites and #ants that was mentioned in my previous post. It's about avoiding misunderstandings. The phoretic #mite #Forcellinia #wasmanni (#Astigmata, #Acaridae), which occurs among other ant species on the ant #Myrmica #rudinodis, develops in the ant nest. The phoretic #dispersal stage (#deutonymph) is spread by ant #workers in the ant #nest to sites with suitable developmental conditions for the mite. For this, the deutonymph needs suitable conditions in order to be able to attach to the ants avoiding the ant's resistance. To do this, it uses a behavior I call "#pupa #guarding": it attaches to ant pupae and waits in this position until the adult ant hatches. During this procedure the deutonymph immediately climbs on the young adult ant (detailed observations to this are still missing). Here is a snippet from my #video from 2015. © #StefanFWirth #Berlin 2023 Link to full video: https://t.co/yb4yQ1Cs3H

561

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

about 3 years ago

I discovered #mite #Histiostoma #palustre 2001 in the #Berlin #gravelpitarea #ImJagen86 and published the #description 2003. It is #phoretic with Hydrophilidae beetles in bank #mud with a male #diphenism with highly #modified or normal #legs2©#StefanFWirth https://t.co/gYb6ClG3sv

wirthstef's tweet photo. I discovered #mite #Histiostoma #palustre 2001 in the #Berlin #gravelpitarea #ImJagen86 and published the #description 2003. It is #phoretic with Hydrophilidae beetles in bank #mud with a male #diphenism with highly #modified or normal #legs2©#StefanFWirth
https://t.co/gYb6ClG3sv https://t.co/XQZ4R1hnor

707

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

over 4 years ago

#Photos from my current #video studies: #phoretic dispersal stage (#deutonymph) of #mite #Histiostoma sp.(H. #feroniarum complex), #alive, with a systematically important pattern of #ventral #apodems: origins for well visible leg #musculature. #Berlin Rehberge ©#Stefan #F #Wirth

wirthstef's tweet photo. #Photos from my current #video studies: #phoretic dispersal stage (#deutonymph) of #mite #Histiostoma sp.(H. #feroniarum complex), #alive, with a systematically important pattern of #ventral #apodems: origins for well visible leg #musculature. #Berlin Rehberge ©#Stefan #F #Wirth https://t.co/3uG6QSj2pn

112

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

over 4 years ago

#Mite #Histiostoma sp.(H.#feroniarum complex) is part of my current research.The #phoretic mite is from a #hollowtreestump with acorns.Numerous #deutonymphs sat in largenumbers on Lithobius forficatus (host?) in substrateculture,but also e.g.on uropodids.© #Stefan #F #Wirth 2022

wirthstef's tweet photo. #Mite #Histiostoma sp.(H.#feroniarum complex) is part of my current research.The #phoretic mite is from a #hollowtreestump with acorns.Numerous #deutonymphs sat in largenumbers on Lithobius forficatus (host?) in substrateculture,but also e.g.on uropodids.© #Stefan #F #Wirth 2022 https://t.co/BV1s463g2s

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

over 4 years ago

#Forests and its soil provide countless #microhabitats to which organisms with a #phoretic life style are well adapted.#Mites and nematodes are stowed away by insects, transported into bark beetle galleries,dead wood, rotting fallen leaves or sap flux on trees. ©#Stefan #F #Wirth

wirthstef's tweet photo. #Forests and its soil provide countless #microhabitats to which organisms with a #phoretic life style are well adapted.#Mites and nematodes are stowed away by insects, transported into bark beetle galleries,dead wood, rotting fallen leaves or sap flux on trees. ©#Stefan #F #Wirth https://t.co/Xz9SVFZXSF

137

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

over 4 years ago

Stage of dispersal (#deutonymph) of the #mite #Histiostoma (H. #feroniarum complex) in search of a #phoretic #host. Body erect, stabilized with #modified #hindlegs 3 and 4. Front #legs #moved #alternately. Ex: hollow stump, acorns, #Lithobius. © #Stefan #F. #Wirth #Berlin 2022

wirthstef's tweet photo. Stage of dispersal (#deutonymph) of the #mite #Histiostoma (H. #feroniarum complex) in search of a #phoretic #host. Body erect, stabilized with #modified #hindlegs 3 and 4. Front #legs #moved #alternately. Ex: hollow stump, acorns, #Lithobius. © #Stefan #F. #Wirth #Berlin 2022 https://t.co/HvhBGSdnOB

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

about 5 years ago

#mite #deutonymph of #Acaridae ( #Acariformes #Astigmata) #phoretic on #Phosphuga #atrata in #Berlin in an urban forest. More in another post. Copyrights #Stefan #F #Wirth March /April 2021

wirthstef's tweet photo. #mite #deutonymph of #Acaridae ( #Acariformes #Astigmata) #phoretic on #Phosphuga #atrata in #Berlin in an urban forest. More in another post. Copyrights #Stefan #F #Wirth March /April 2021 https://t.co/qzWsITpCbN

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

about 6 years ago

#macrophotography of #cockchafer #Melolontha #hippocastani with #phoretic #mite of #Mesostigmata in front of my #artificial #light in an #evening in #urban #park #Plötzensee #district #Wedding #Berlin #May #2020 Copyrights #Stefan #F. #Wirth #Scarabaeidae #macro #Polyphaga

wirthstef's tweet photo. #macrophotography of #cockchafer #Melolontha #hippocastani with #phoretic #mite of #Mesostigmata in front of my #artificial #light in an #evening in #urban #park #Plötzensee #district #Wedding #Berlin #May #2020 Copyrights #Stefan #F. #Wirth
#Scarabaeidae #macro #Polyphaga https://t.co/mnucGTqRBb

Stefan F. Wirth

@wirthstef

about 6 years ago

#Systematics and #biology of #termites and about #phoretic #associations (4K) https://t.co/6reXXiJDAa via @YouTube my new #video #4k

Joseph Lee Spencer @talkingrootworm

almost 7 years ago

Won’t end well! Shackled w/ #milkweed #pollinia & held fast by floral leg hold traps, this struggling #fly, caught near the crab #spider’s lair, also wears a #phoretic mite. High drama follows furious #pollinator activity around milkweed blooms. Some are caught, others fly free!

talkingrootworm's tweet photo. Won’t end well! Shackled w/ #milkweed #pollinia & held fast by floral leg hold traps, this struggling #fly, caught near the crab #spider’s lair, also wears a #phoretic mite. High drama follows furious #pollinator activity around milkweed blooms. Some are caught, others fly free! https://t.co/Izbnjc1v8w

Nephrotom @jmedeCCF

about 10 years ago

@osuc_curator @flygirlNHM I found some #phoretic larvae of Meloe on #flies https://t.co/Y6begdfIE4 A little creepy

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