red spider

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Naphthalene
Posts: 124
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:34 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

red spider

#1 Post by Naphthalene » Wed Sep 02, 2015 2:26 pm

Hello!
I'm not sure I call it "red spider" correctly, this is a herbivorous exoparasite tick that had infested my orchid plant. I believe it is Tetranychus urticae/Tetranychus Telarius
They are claimed to be unable to feed on orchids, but they have built a spider-like network on the orchid plant, and are actively consuming the plant's juice they make to bleed.
I have collected several dozens of idividuals, that appear to be at a nymph stage (I'm very weak in the enthomology area, so I would be grateful if you correct me). These mites were fixed with 96% ethanol, and mounted in 100% glycerol. They were initially clear but now the opaqueness has completely gone. I'm planning to stain a next batch as whole-mounts.
I have stacked 10 images using Picolay , thanks again mrsonchus anf billbillt for the tips on stacking in my previous topic.
I wonder what are those black veins inside? These are the nerves?

Image
Last edited by Naphthalene on Wed Sep 02, 2015 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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75RR
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Location: Estepona, Spain

Re: red spider

#2 Post by 75RR » Wed Sep 02, 2015 2:33 pm

Very nice image
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)
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Rodney
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Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2015 2:52 am
Location: Southern Georgia, USA

Re: red spider

#3 Post by Rodney » Wed Sep 02, 2015 2:57 pm

Nice image, from the book destructive and useful insects, says these mites live upon the sap of the plant, which is drawn by piercing the leaf with two sharp slender lances attached to the mouth.

They do spin a silk like web which may have minute spherical eggs. And continues.
This common red spider mite in this line drawing looks like your pioclay stack.

Rodney
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billbillt
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 10:01 pm

Re: red spider

#4 Post by billbillt » Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:01 pm

Hi Naptha,

That is a very fine photograph... I am not a bug person, so I can't help much with ID... I will hazard a guess that the black veins are indeed nerves...

BillT
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gekko
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Location: Durham, NC, USA.

Re: red spider

#5 Post by gekko » Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:16 pm

Naphtthalene, very nice picture! Beautiful colors too. Thank you for sharing. And thanks to Rodney for the interesting information on the mites.
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jwsmith
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Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:15 pm
Location: Berkeley, CA, USA

Re: red spider

#6 Post by jwsmith » Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:18 pm

Little guy has "trailing hairs" that are smaller in diameter than his body-centered "lines"....so.....
I'm not thinking nerves. I'm thinking carapace segments....or (?) body-hairs(?).
Very nice image..!!...

jw
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billbillt
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 10:01 pm

Re: red spider

#7 Post by billbillt » Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:38 pm

Hi jwsmith,

I am sure you are correct.... They may be external instead of internal.. It is hard for me to tell... Anyway, a very impressive image!...

BillT
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Naphthalene
Posts: 124
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:34 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

Re: red spider

#8 Post by Naphthalene » Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:58 pm

Thank you all for the replies!

The black vein-like structures are surely the internal elements, they do not appear on the "outer" images of the stack that reveal the straight hairs on the body surface.
This is an uppermost image of the stack, the black structures are invisible.
Image

That's the bottom view
Image
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billbillt
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Re: red spider

#9 Post by billbillt » Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:20 pm

Hi Naptha,

In that case, being internal, they must be nerves or venous canals that move the fluids/gasses of life back and forth.. Great images...

BillT
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