deamii, named in honor of the accomplished Indiana botanist Charles Deam. The species is divided into three varieties, and the one that I saw at Jasper-Pulaski is C. Although, as good as my Canon 100 mm L macro lens is, this is really the job of the bizarre Canon MP-E 65 mm macro lens, and these mites are yet another justification for getting this piece of equipment.Ĭommelina erecta has a rather broad distribution, occurring to the west, east, and south of Ohio. Now that I am aware that such a Lilliputian world of mites on moths exists, I will keep a much sharper eye for them when photographing living specimens in the field, and perhaps obtain some sharper images. And then the mites' chances of survival and success would plummet. If mites infested BOTH ears, the moth would not be nearly as capable at detecting bat echolocations and other threats, and thus the moth would be at greater risk of predation. To infest both ears would be a tactical mistake, as the mite colonies apparently result in the loss of the moth's sensory abilities. Once on the moth, the mites, apparently following a pheromone trail left by the leader, invade one ear, and only one ear, of the host moth. There is a large group of mites that only infest the ears (EARS!) of moths! These parasites lay in wait on flowers, and when a suitable moth lands and extends its proboscis to tap nectar, the mites quickly scramble up this "gang-plank". Although he wrote that 46 years ago, it seems that not many lepidopterists have taken up the quest to ferret out the mystery of moth-borne mites in the intervening years.Īlthough Treat's work was confined to moths in the family Noctuidae - the Clover Hayworm is in the Pyralidae - much of what he says probably applies to many moth families, and he brings out the commonness with which mites use moth hosts. It appears to be one of the more comprehensive papers on this obscure subject, although as Treat notes, "Here is a garden of wonders for the inquiring lepidopterist, a garden that is virtually unexplored". Treat and published in the Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. I found a beautifully written 1967 paper entitled "Mites from Noctuid Moths" that was written by Asher E. Presumably the mites in that photo, and mine, are tapping into a wing vein and actively feeding, rather than just hitching a ride. Mites are abundant parasites on a huge range of animals, but in spite of the scores of moth photos that I've taken over the years, I had never notice them on moths before.Ī bit of research quickly revealed that mites are indeed known as parasites on moths, and the BugGuide website even has a photo of mites - same species presumably - on a Clover Hayworm moth. Well, that was the coolest thing that I had seen all day (yes, I know.), and of course I wanted to know more. Here's a tight crop on that part of the wing, and I've enhanced the mites' color a bit to make them more visible.
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