Tiny six-legged creature

[sarahannalien]

I found this little six-legged creature in a sample of crud from underneath my toilet rim... can anyone help me identify? Was still alive initially but stopped moving as the sample dried out.

First video is 10x objective, 25x eyepiece, and webcam with custom mount. Second video is 40x objective instead.

S20211226_0009_crop.jpg (70.35 KiB) Viewed 2497 times

[youtube]https://youtu.be/0nThUL8WL7s[/youtube]

[youtube]https://youtu.be/pRXosHW6N40[/youtube]

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Is it maybe hiding another pair of legs? Looks a tad mitish to me

[dtsh]

They are a bit outside of what I've studied so take this for what it's worth, but I believe some mites will have 6 legs when they are nymphs.

[BramHuntingNematodes]

See if you can get a close up of its mouth, make sure it's not a louse

[rmb]

I see 8 legs in your first video. If it has very long hairs on its back probably a housedust mite

[sarahannalien]

I re-watched the videos and I can't see a fourth pair of legs there. I also don't recall seeing any long hairs on the body... but vaguely recall seeing some short bristly ones. Can't see them in any of the images.

The second video was at the limits of what I can do right now: 40x objective with 25x eyepiece. So I couldn't get any clearer pictures of the mouth. I could see whiskers pointing left and right, just sticking out into the air bubble.

I found a couple more examples while looking through my samples.

The blue one sat in methlylene blue overnight and looks kind of "empty"; maybe a nymphal form that sheds?

The other one was in an unstained sample mounted with vegetable glycerin, and I took a second picture using a flashlight to give some light from above. On this one I can clearly see four legs on one side.

I also found several instances of detached leg parts with the same basic appearance.

I'll try to take another set of samples as time permits and see if I can find anything else.

Thanks for the help!

Sat overnight in methylene blue.

S20211227_0001_blueone.jpg (52.99 KiB) Viewed 2380 times

Unstained sample in vegetable glycerin.

S20211228_0004_glycerin.jpg (116.64 KiB) Viewed 2380 times

Same unstained sample in vegetable glycerin; lit mostly from above with small LED flashlight.

S20211228_0005_glycerin_flashlight.jpg (131.45 KiB) Viewed 2380 times

[rmb]

Sarah
I attach a picture of a house dust mite
I sometimes find them crawling along the sides of microscope slides i have made using fructose or pva. An easy way to catch them
there are other mites about your house - flour mites, cheese mites....

[shawn perez]

it looks like a mite to me