Strange Looking Mite Discovered at Ohio State University
Posted on February 26, 2014
A strange looking mite with a worm-like body was recently discovered at Ohio State University. Osperalycus tenerphagus is a new species and genus of Nematalycidae. It was described using light microscopy and low-temperature scanning electron microscopy. A research paper on the mite can be found here in the Journal of Natural History.
Samuel Bolton, a PhD student at the Acarology Lab at Ohio State University, explains his find in an Entomology Today blog post. Bolton did not have to travel far to discover the mite as it was found in a sample from a neglected lot on campus. He says some of his colleagues noted the resemblance of the mite to the traditional Chinese dragon, which lacks wings.
In addition to its odd worm-like body, the mite also has an unusual mouthpart which helped give it its name. "Ospera" means "mouth bag/purse" and "tenerphagus" references the tiny creature's tender feeding mechanism. Bolton says the mite "has a specially modified palp that appears to be used for delicately picking up microorganisms in order to avoid bursting them until they are inside the vessel."