Comments for Macromite's Blog

Comment on Weekly Bits & Pieces: Oribatulid Leg-well Ornaments by macromite

macromite — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 20:27:28 +0000

Hi Mikhail – Thanks. The closer one looks at mites, the more interesting they become. I don’t think I ever used this image in another publication, so you should cite this post if you need one.

Comment on Weekly Bits & Pieces: Oribatulid Leg-well Ornaments by Mikhail Kryuchkov

Mikhail Kryuchkov — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 07:02:35 +0000

Looks so nice! Is these SEM published? I can not find them in articles.

Comment on About by macromite

macromite — Fri, 26 May 2017 22:28:04 +0000

In reply to TJ.

Hi TJ – most of the images are Scanning Electron Micrographs mostly taken on a JOEL of one model or another. Preparation is the tough part of the process – you might look around for what they call an environmental scanning electron microscope that allows imaging of unprocessed animals.

Comment on About by TJ

TJ — Fri, 26 May 2017 13:40:05 +0000

Hi, I was just wondering what equipment you use to take these images.

I’d like to be able to do the same for other small arthropods, like collembola, etc.

Thanks : )

Comment on Mites and Ladders by Sinikiwe Dhliwayo

Sinikiwe Dhliwayo — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:37:18 +0000

In reply to Dave.

Hi Dave,

My name is Sinikiwe and I am interested in licensing your image for Men’s Health Magazine. Could you please contact me ASAP.

Sinikiwe Dhliwayo
Men’s Health Magazine
212.808.1409
[email protected]

Comment on Mite Harvestman: Austropurcellia inter alia by hproctor

hproctor — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 03:00:42 +0000

Great to see a Macromite post, and wow, what beautiful integument this opilionid has!

Comment on Acroseius, Polyaspinus, Trachytes: Cerotegument Galore by MicrOlivier

MicrOlivier — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 10:56:25 +0000

Excellent pictures ! Is there a way to get rid of this cerotegument to take better photos in light microscopy ? Thanks for your excellent blog ! My post on Polyaspinus ! MicrOlivier

Comment on An Empty Shell by macromite

macromite — Sun, 03 May 2015 03:08:45 +0000

In reply to Evert E Lindquist.

I was writing metaphorically, but I suppose one could measure the thickness of the gland walls and compare it to the length of the stylets. Presumably, secretory cells line the glands and would need to be pierced to get at the haemolymph, so they may actually ‘eat’ the glands. Not all parasites are properly prudent when partaking of their hosts.

I just spent my life savings on a house and a hectare, so no microscope in the near future, but it would be nice to set up on the deck and enjoy the garden and its wildlife while working. At the moment both Striped and Spotted Marsh Frogs are croaking away in the dam and a Pied Cormorant is hunting yabbies. The drone of Sunday lawnmowers is in the distance. I suppose I will have to take mine for a ride later this week.

Comment on An Empty Shell by Evert E Lindquist

Evert E Lindquist — Sun, 03 May 2015 00:56:59 +0000

Coreitarsonemus mites “eating” the stink glands of coreid bugs – where did that assumption come from? These mites undergo their life history in those glands, so as presumed good parasites, why would they destroy the glands in which they live and are protected?

Some really cool molecular studies might determine what they feed on. However, my preliminary guess (from morphology of their cheliceral stylets) is that they feed on the bugs’ haemolymph by way of piercing the stink gland walls (much like tracheal mites do, via the tracheal system in honey bees). Another option may be to enjoy the soup (exudate) produced by the bug’s stink gland, but the mites wouldn’t need such strongly produced stylets for that kind of intake.

Nice to see you back, but please latch onto a decent compound microscope to pick back up on new observations/studies!

Comment on An Empty Shell by Spiderday (the first) | Arthropod Ecology

Spiderday (the first) | Arthropod Ecology — Sat, 02 May 2015 11:35:53 +0000

[…] The “Macromite” blog is back! Here’s a neat post and this can be filed under “more reasons why mites are odd”: Mesostigmata mites moult forwards! […]