# mites?



## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

Hey all, ive started to breed my own fruit flies, and the first few months this went very well, but lately i have a lot of failed cultures. I notice some very fast moving tiny black critters in the cultures. About 1/10th the size of the fruit flies.

Are these mites? If not, what else?


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## Entomologist210 (Apr 24, 2014)

I'm going to need a picture or a better description. Sorry, but that could be just about anything. Hmm.... maybe I should put my acarology skills to use and make a mite primer sticky....


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

I tried making a video, but you have to understand these things are small. Less than a mm. I tapped some on a white piece of paper and made a small video with my phone. If it's not enough, let me know and i'll get out my macro lenses


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## Entomologist210 (Apr 24, 2014)

Doesn't look to be a mite. Doesn't move like a mite either, and appears to have wings. If I had to guess based on just the video I'd say it moves like a fly, probably something in the family Phoridae. I wish I had a macro lens. I'm forced to attach my phone to my scope in order to get decent shots of my mites.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

They move like a phorid fly (humpbacked fly). If those get into your cultures in my experience they can cause them to crash. 

You need to set up new clean cultures that don't already have them in the mix. 

some comments 

Ed


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Entomologist210 said:


> Doesn't look to be a mite. Doesn't move like a mite either, and appears to have wings. If I had to guess based on just the video I'd say it moves like a fly, probably something in the family Phoridae. I wish I had a macro lens. I'm forced to attach my phone to my scope in order to get decent shots of my mites.


Beat me to it. 

some comments 

Ed


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

I got my 105mm and 2x teleconverter out and was able to make a couple images after slightly injuring one so it wouldnt move like crazy. These are crops of a highly magnified image. I estimate max 0.2mm long.


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

And I just saw one fly a few inches. But they walk 99% of the time. Still the verdict is a Phoridae? Is there a way to keep them out of new cultures? They're so small they can go through my container's air holes. 

I have no problem destroying everything I currently have, but if I cant keep them out of new cultures it would be a waste of time. 

I started putting new cultures in containers filled with soap, but I guess I can stop that now that i realise they fly


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

I'm going to go with Psocid with the updated picture. Although I've never seen them run like that before, could you have more than one pest species in the cultures? I went with phorid fly at first because at this time of year it isn't uncommon to find them lurking near the cultures. 

What are you using the for the lids of your cultures? You might be better off switching to the fabric covered lids (if your using the plastic cups) or if using jars, a coffee filter. 

some comments 

Ed


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

It's totally possible I have multiple pests, but this one walked in a very similar pattern as the video. All of the noticeable ones in my fruit fly cultures move the same, very fast kinda jittery and random. It could be that the one i saw fly was actually a small fruit fly (I breed small and large fruit flies). These are about 1/3th the size of a small fruit fly. 

The lids of my containers look like this. They are probably small enough to get through those holes.


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

And this is a new culture I set up today from a newly bought stock, currently I dont see any of those pests in there at first glance, but in a few days they'll probably be in there.


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

Just to be sure, i grabbed some more from one of my older cultures, they walk the same as in the video, and if i semi squash them and take a picture they look like the ones in the photos. 

Im from europe btw, maybe a species we have here thats a little different?


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## Entomologist210 (Apr 24, 2014)

Ed's right, it's a Psocid. I have seen them run that fast and faster, we have a whole bunch of different genera here in Texas. They feed on all kinds of stuff from rotting vegetation and fungus to glue from book bindings and postage stamps.


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## Entomologist210 (Apr 24, 2014)

Oh, and use a piece of tape to keep them from running around. It's what I have to do for my ticks and it works great. SO much easier when they can't keep running at you.


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

So what's the best course of action? I read on a local forum that putting your cultures in a container filled with a little layer of soapy water could help.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

If you can put a coffee filter under the lid and still get the culture to seal, that should keep them out or as noted above, try the tape. 

some comments 

Ed


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## Entomologist210 (Apr 24, 2014)

No, I meant for getting pictures of them. I use tape to keep them from running off. I'd definitely go with the coffee filter method for keeping unwanted stuff out of your cultures.


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

Ed said:


> If you can put a coffee filter under the lid and still get the culture to seal, that should keep them out or as noted above, try the tape.
> 
> some comments
> 
> Ed


That's probably possible, I'll try that, thanks.


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## corbosman (Jul 8, 2012)

Thought id report back. After covering my container openings in paper towel I have had 4 well producing cultures of small fruit flies. It seems like this was the key to keeping the pests out and solving my problem. 

Thanks everyone.


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## Entomologist210 (Apr 24, 2014)

Awesome! Glad to hear you're having success.


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