A Termite and its Pests, Mites and Nematodes

I found some little termites living large on the fringe of my compost heap so I put one under my Celestron digital LCD microscope and this is what I found. These are mites and nematodes (roundworms) which are both known to parasitize temites (or it may be commensalism in the case of the mite).

Here is a study from Florida Entomologist on "MITES AND NEMATODES ASSOCIATED WITH THREE SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE SPECIES (ISOPTERA: RHINOTERMITIDAE"):
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/10-Mites-and-nematodes.pdf

My best guess from the research I have just done including reading the abstract of the above paper is that the organisms here are as follows:
Eastern Subterranean Termite - Reticulitermes flavipes
Mite - Family Acaridae, Genus Australhypopus
Nematode - Family Rhabditidae, Genus Rhabditis

Anyone with more knowledge of these species please feel free to offer corrections in the comments.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• termite
• roundworm
• nematode
• mite
• parasite
• celestron
• digital
• LCD
• microscope
• Eastern
• Subterranean
• Termite
• Reticulitermes
• flavipes
• Acaridae
• Australhypopus
• Family
• Rhabditidae
• Genus
• Rhabditis

[stillarmed]

Can you make more of those time lapse videos...I thoroughly enjoy watching them :)

[Walkabout]

cool!

[MyChemLoverRobbyRay]

Wow there are a lot more mites and nematode worms than you'd think