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Oribatida / Beetle Mite, Heesch, Netherlands
I failed to secure a single good shot of this one, but because I've never photographed one before, sharing it as a "bucket list" post. Hopefully one day I manage to improve upon it.
This looks to be a beetle mite, sometimes called box mite, for their ability to tuck their legs below their body to avoid predation. In the main scene, one seems to be in some resting position with legs folded, much different from their typical position where they are high on their legs. The insets show an angle from behind and a lateral shot.
In the main scene are two whitish bulbs next to the body. I don't know if these are eggs or just part of the plant debris it was on. This group of species never grows beyond 1.5mm. I also have failed shots with Entomobrya multifasciata in the same scene, the latter being far larger. So this could be 1mm or even smaller.
No species identified
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