Red spot on Marbled White

[Willem]

Dear,

I went to Nothern France last week and came back with a number of photographs of Marbled Whites of http://www.pyrgus.com/species.php?speci ... anguage=UK. On one of them I noted a red spot...



Are these small insects ... mites ? Harmful ?

Thanks

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Wim - from the Marbled White species page:

"The Marbled White is often found with parasitic red mites, Trombidium breei in particular, attached to its thorax, although such parasitism does not appear to affect the butterfly in any way."

Cheers,

- Pete