A Spider with Mites

[Bill S]

The topic of mites on spiders comes up often enough here that I thought it might be worth posting a picture of a spider with mites. The spider in this case is not a tarantula, but a giant crab spider (Olios sp.).

Now - a few comments. These are true mites attached to the face and chelicerae of the spider. But they are not parasitizing the spider. They are phoretic mites, and they utilize the spider purely as a means of distribution. Larval mites attach to the smooth surfaces, such as on the chelicerae, on or near the eyes, etc. They attach by means of sucker feet, and will remain attached until they molt - at which time they will fall from their spider host into their new "home". The old molts will be shed when the spider next molts, or may eventually be removed through grooming.

Some phoretic mites are kleptoparasitic, and will only hold on to the host for transportation from one meal to the next. They'll let go long enough to share the host's food, and will then reattach for a ride to the next meal.

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

This would be better if you told us how to get rid of them... Still informative.

:?

 

[Endagr8]

Do any mites parasitize the host? (not just steal prey) :? :?

 

[Bill S]

Endagr8 - yes, there are truly parasitic mites out there. Most are fairly narrow in their choice of hosts, though. And that helps keep parasitic mite infestations down.

Brachy - I actually don't try to get rid of these, just observe them. As long as they are harmless they are just something else to learn from. If they were harmful, and especially if they could spread to other animals in my collection, I'd no doubt react differently though.

Isolation would be a good first step. Mites can't "tele-transport" from one tarantula container to another. If you keep your caging area clean and keep containers apart from each other, you greatly minimize chances of mites spreading. If you quarantine spiders known to have parasitic mites and new additions to your collection, that will help. I don't have any magic solutions for killing parasitic mites on tarantulas, but others here have offered suggestions and ideas. I think if you can successfully get rid of all mites through one full molt cycle you could remove a tarantula from quarantine - but you should still try to provide conditions that would minimize potential spread of mites.

 

[ReMoVeR]

i think u should get a bad mite photo and a good mite photo for comparison.

That's a good photo though

Cheers,

//Tiago

 

[Miss Bianca]

there's like, no way the spider's cool with this... I'd try to get rid of them..

 

[Neophyte]

there's like, no way the spider's cool with this... I'd try to get rid of them..

I don't even know. Personally the photo makes me wonder how I would feel with bugs crawling on my eyes and mouth. I don't know if it would bug the spider as much though. It's pretty much the cycle of nature right?

 

[Bill S]

there's like, no way the spider's cool with this... I'd try to get rid of them.

You're anthropomorphizing - placing your own personal (human) feelings on the spider. The spider doesn't give it a second thought. (In fact, given their cognitive abilities, doesn't give it a first thought.) In this case, the spider behaved perfectly normally and made no effort at all to dislodge them. The mites did not stop it from eating or doing any other spider-things.

I agree with neophyte - I certainly would not be casual about a bunch of bugs attaching themselves to my face. But I'm a human and have a whole different set of awarenesses and reactions than spiders do. In the case of the spider, it's just part of the normal cycle of nature.

If it helps you feel more comfortable with the picture - keep in mind that the spider's "face", including its eyes, are covered by a cuticle. The spider does not feel the presence of the mites. The ones near the eyes might obscure the vision a little - but the spider's got plenty of eyes and adequate "leftover" vision to take care of its needs. It's sort of like if you were wearing goggles, and there were a few flies resting on the goggles. You might notice them, you might not.

As it happens, the mites did soon drop off the spider of their own accord.

 

[Bill S]

i think u should get a bad mite photo and a good mite photo for comparison.

If we find a spider with parasitic mites attached we will certainly photograph it and post pictures here. And we'd try to get an identification on the mites.

We (my wife and I) have found other animals, from insects to bats and reptiles, with parasitic mites attached, and have photographed them and sent specimens off to a mite expert for identification. But we so far have not found parasitic mites on spiders. I'm sure they exist - but given the number and variety of wild spiders we work with, I think it's noteworthy that so far we haven't found parasitic mites on them. Incidence, at least in this environment, must be pretty low.

 

[Bird Man]

I don't even know. Personally the photo makes me wonder how I would feel with bugs crawling on my eyes and mouth. I don't know if it would bug the spider as much though. It's pretty much the cycle of nature right?

You'd be surprised what's living in your eye lashes.

 

[Neophyte]

You'd be surprised what's living in your eye lashes.

I really don't want to know xD

 

[c'est ma]

If we find a spider with parasitic mites attached we will certainly photograph it and post pictures here. And we'd try to get an identification on the mites.

We (my wife and I) have found other animals, from insects to bats and reptiles, with parasitic mites attached, and have photographed them and sent specimens off to a mite expert for identification. But we so far have not found parasitic mites on spiders. I'm sure they exist - but given the number and variety of wild spiders we work with, I think it's noteworthy that so far we haven't found parasitic mites on them. Incidence, at least in this environment, must be pretty low.

Wonderful picture and info as always, Bill.

How much does your mite expert charge for ID? And what else can you tell us about the process?

I've long felt that people often panic unnecessarily about mites...

 

[Bill S]

Wonderful picture and info as always, Bill.

How much does your mite expert charge for ID? And what else can you tell us about the process?

I've long felt that people often panic unnecessarily about mites...

I'll give you a more generalized answer here, but I'll also PM you.

Because of work my wife and I are doing with arachnids (and a wide range of other plants and animals) we rely a lot on specialists in other fields to help ID things for us. There are only a few we've encountered who actully charge to do so. But.... their time is valuable, as is their expertise. So we try to work cooperative deals. We try to do the basic identifications ourselves, or use commonly available resources (bugguide.net is a great one). Since many of the people we contact for identifications teach or lecture on their subjects, my wife lets them use her photographs for non-commercial educational purposes in an informal "trade" for their help. We also watch for specimens that they might be interested in. And when we've turned up something really interesting (such as an insect we found in a cave a couple weeks ago that might turn out to be a new family - a bit above the new species we periodically come across), we will bring the helpful expert in do do some further collecting.

The usual process is to find an interesting bug, get the best pictures we can of it, and do some basic ID if we can. We then contact an expert in the field and ask if they are willing to take a look at the specimen or photograph. If they are, we go from there. Be respectful of their time and expertise and try to help them in some way, and you'll generally get good results. But there will always be those who can't be bothered, or forget to get back to you. Accept that and try someone else next time.

 

[Miss Bianca]

You're anthropomorphizing - placing your own personal (human) feelings on the spider. The spider doesn't give it a second thought. (In fact, given their cognitive abilities, doesn't give it a first thought.) In this case, the spider behaved perfectly normally and made no effort at all to dislodge them. The mites did not stop it from eating or doing any other spider-things.

I agree with neophyte - I certainly would not be casual about a bunch of bugs attaching themselves to my face. But I'm a human and have a whole different set of awarenesses and reactions than spiders do. In the case of the spider, it's just part of the normal cycle of nature.

If it helps you feel more comfortable with the picture - keep in mind that the spider's "face", including its eyes, are covered by a cuticle. The spider does not feel the presence of the mites. The ones near the eyes might obscure the vision a little - but the spider's got plenty of eyes and adequate "leftover" vision to take care of its needs. It's sort of like if you were wearing goggles, and there were a few flies resting on the goggles. You might notice them, you might not.

As it happens, the mites did soon drop off the spider of their own accord.

definitely duly noted!

 

[c'est ma]

I'll give you a more generalized answer here, but I'll also PM you.

Because of work my wife and I are doing with arachnids (and a wide range of other plants and animals) we rely a lot on specialists in other fields to help ID things for us. There are only a few we've encountered who actully charge to do so. But.... their time is valuable, as is their expertise. So we try to work cooperative deals. We try to do the basic identifications ourselves, or use commonly available resources (bugguide.net is a great one). Since many of the people we contact for identifications teach or lecture on their subjects, my wife lets them use her photographs for non-commercial educational purposes in an informal "trade" for their help. We also watch for specimens that they might be interested in. And when we've turned up something really interesting (such as an insect we found in a cave a couple weeks ago that might turn out to be a new family - a bit above the new species we periodically come across), we will bring the helpful expert in do do some further collecting.

The usual process is to find an interesting bug, get the best pictures we can of it, and do some basic ID if we can. We then contact an expert in the field and ask if they are willing to take a look at the specimen or photograph. If they are, we go from there. Be respectful of their time and expertise and try to help them in some way, and you'll generally get good results. But there will always be those who can't be bothered, or forget to get back to you. Accept that and try someone else next time.

Thanks again for so much fascinating info, Bill! If I were going to get REALLY nosy now, I'd ask if you & your wife are making a living out of such a fantastic set of hobbies! You must be very well versed in arthropod taxonomy yourselves. Wow!! a new FAMILY??!! Uber cool. BTW, has anyone named anything after you yet?

I have often been impressed at how many professional scientists are willing to help us if we're respectful and try to learn as much as possible ourselves...but once in a while you'll run into the "any 'pet keeper' is an idiot" attitude...At that point, I contact someone else!

The T hobby seems to have more cred than others, tho. Probably 'cause we have a long history of "amateurs" like the Schultzes amassing info and sharing it.

Thanks for the PM, too! Reply to come!

 

[Bill S]

If I were going to get REALLY nosy now, I'd ask if you & your wife are making a living out of such a fantastic set of hobbies!

Now that would be a dream. But no, like most people, we have to make our livings elsewhere to support our hobbies. But we've both got strong backgrounds in biology and come from families saturated with "bug people". My brother works with scorpions and solpugids and is currently involved with the REVSYS project to revise the scorpion family Vaejovidae. My cousin (who is somewhat of an older brother to me) has described a few species of scorpions as well as the genus Smeringurus. My wife's got a bunch of horticulturists and entomologists in her family.

You must be very well versed in arthropod taxonomy yourselves. Wow!! a new FAMILY??!! Uber cool. BTW, has anyone named anything after you yet?

We're learning about arthropods - we actually both came from other fields and are now discovering what other family members have been telling us about for years. Someone did offer to name a scorpion after my wife, but the offer was rejected. (We lean toward the idea that the name should describe some feature of the animal or its location.) However, by an odd quirk, there is a cave named after me (Bill's Cave). That came about when an entomologist from the Cal Academy of Sciences described a new species of spider that came out of that cave. The cave had been unnamed, and I had guided him to the cave - so in his species description he noted the collecting locality as "Bill's Cave". We have since built a house near the cave and have found several new species of arachnids there.

The "new family" is still, in my opinion, pretty speculative. Time will tell.

I have often been impressed at how many professional scientists are willing to help us if we're respectful and try to learn as much as possible ourselves...but once in a while you'll run into the "any 'pet keeper' is an idiot" attitude...At that point, I contact someone else!

Yup. The anti-pet keeper attitude comes up in other fields of biology too. I tend to see it as an insecurity issue ("Only MY way of looking at things is correct, and I won't deal with anyone who challenges it!") But real scientists generally appreciate the chance to share knowledge and ideas with others even distantly connected to their fields.

 

[Bill S]

i think u should get a bad mite photo and a good mite photo for comparison.

OK. Mites need some good publicity, and I found a couple pictures of "good" mites - two local species of Trombidiid mites. These guys are not parasitic. In fact, they are predacious. Even better - they are big. (Well, for mites anyway. They have body sizes of around 1/4 inch or so.)

 

[brandi71183]

ewww

You'd be surprised what's living in your eye lashes.

Now I feel all itchy!! LOL

 

[Miss Bianca]

oh wow those look awesomeeeee... and very RED... very cool...

 

[Bill S]

oh wow those look awesomeeeee... and very RED... very cool...

Yup. They're cool animals. We find them after the summer monsoons start, usually early in the morning. They're day-glow colors make them very noticeable. They're usually called "velvet mites".