www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Came across this Meadow Brown today...only got one decent shot before it scarpered. What is the general consensus of opinion on the red growths...parasites?





Martin.

Red Spider Mite.

Cheers,

- Pete

They are considered a horticultural pest but I think they're harmless to the insect host, just hitching a lift, I believe.

I returned to the same site today and got a shot of a Common Blue with a load too...will post it up later.

Martin.

This site does not seem a safe place for butterflies.

You don't mean this site, Dave?

Bryan

The Common Blue mentioned earlier...



Martin.

Pete...I take it these are the eggs, they don't look much like spiders.

Martin.

They're mites - not spiders! Although they are arachnids! See:

http://www.pbase.com/wildhareuk/image/79873069

for a lovely photo

Cheers,

- Pete

But I see no legs
I'm getting conflicting opinions here...

http://phocus-on.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3150

Martin.

Get loads of them where I am. They have to hatch from something right? Thats why you don't see legs. if they were hatched, the butterfly would not have ad long I think.

Dave McCormick wrote:They have to hatch from something right? Thats why you don't see legs.

I believe that you don't see legs because a) the mite is 0.5mm long and b) it's holding on! The eggs are laid on bark and plant debris, as far as I know, and the larvae that emerge eat healthy plants - which is why they're a pest in orchards and the horticultural trade.

Dave McCormick wrote:if they were hatched, the butterfly would not have ad long I think.

I think they're just hitching a ride

Cheers,

- Pete

Well, that could be true. Seen that with a bumble bee before.

If it's not, then the mites are laying eggs slightly larger than themselves

But I'm no mite expert and willing to be corrected, as ever!

Cheers,

- Pete

Sorry Chaps,

I think they are ticks of some sort, they seem to be honing in on chinks in the exoskeleton to me, see what they did to this Bright Eyed Ringlet ( sorry about the quality )... i'm probably wrong, so shoot me down!

Paul

Lafranchis 1 (his original book on the butterflies of France, Belgium and Luxemburg, which is definitely worth getting if you read French) says they are 'acariens', a group containing mites and ticks. On page 40 he writes (and I translate):

"Butterflies are host to several parasites. Small, red, spherical mites ('de petits acariens rouges et sphériques') attach themselves to the bodies of adults. Satyrids are sometimes infested with them. These parasites seem to annoy their hosts very little".

Voilà!

Guy

I got this real close up the other day. As the weather was as usual c**p, he was a bit dopey and got on my finger at one point. I suppose now, I should of had a better look at the red Mites, damn it

Gruditch

After a little research, I've concluded that the mites are Trombidium breei (can't find a common name, but Red Velvet Mite is in the same family).

Red Spider Mite is Tetranychus urticae.

For some reason, everyone (I talk to anyway!) seems to think they're Red Spider Mite - when they're not!!!

Cheers,

- Pete

Here is a red spider mite and this was very tiny, so I did not belive it was one:



I took this on a window and you could not see it on the window it was so tiny, unless you looked very close. So its not them.

not harmful is the conclusion...
http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Bu ... 0Facts.htm