Water Mite (Arrenurus genus)

[Charles Krebs]

My last pond sample was loaded with a variety of water mites. This was one of the more interesting ones in terms of shape and coloration.

Illuminated with a mix of darkfield (for the legs primarily) and surface illumination via fiber optic light guides. 4X objective on upper image, 10X objective on the lower.

[rjlittlefield]

Good grief -- more beautiful pictures! I'm just sitting here salivating over these images. Surely it's that... unless maybe the bedtime snack...

But I'm curious -- 'fess up, now -- are these single frames or stacks? And if stacks, did you have to do anything special to get this critter to hold still?

--Rik

[Frez]

Phenomenal!! The dude's even ready to ship in it's own bubble wrap!

[Charles Krebs]

But I'm curious -- 'fess up, now -- are these single frames or stacks? And if stacks, did you have to do anything special to get this critter to hold still?

They're stacks. 23 for the top one, 27 for the bottom.

Here's the "fess'n up" part.....
These things are worse than the Energizer bunny. It would be tough to get even a single frame in focus. So I experimented a little. I put 6 water mites (3 different species) in a small dish and gradually added some alcoholic beverage () , drop by drop until they really slowed down. Eventually they really slowed down... I thought perhaps permanently! But when I was done photographing this one I transferred it into a it to a small dish of fresh water with the other 5 and the next morning they were all scurrying around like usual. So I put them all back in my large sample bowl with their buddies.

[Frez]

Be careful Charlie. They're probably minors.

[Jay Barnes]

and gradually added some alcoholic beverage () , drop by drop until they really slowed down. Eventually they really slowed down...

I guess that also explains the bloodshot eyes.

Terrific photo.

[Gerd]

Absolute phenomenal stacks, Charlie.
Simply wonderful,
thank you for posting !
Gerd

[RobertoM]

Great! Great! Great!

Roberto

[Ken Ramos]

Contributing to the delinquency thereof, shame on you Charlie. Hey, wanna take a photo of me? After a few belts of Scotch I stay pretty still myself! These are great, they do look like they are encased in bubble wrap though. Well one thing is for sure, I will never look at water mites the same anymore, fantastic photos!

[Jean-marc]

I will sell my microscope and buy a a refractor to see the moon !

wonderful !!

JM

[augusthouse]

Charlie,

Illuminated with a mix of darkfield (for the legs primarily) and surface illumination via fiber optic light guides

I needed to see that. Thanks!

Phenomenal!! The dude's even ready to ship in it's own bubble wrap!

I cracked-up when I read that post by Frez. I don't know the scientific term, but are you able to determine if that 'bubble wrap' is 'soft' or 'hard'; I'm wondering if it sort of works for them like the protective outer layer on dodg'em cars as they bounce around in their 'space'?

Craig

[Planapo]

Yeah, of course he is wearing bubble wrap. He misunderstood something and got properly dressed for being FedEx-ed to New Hampshire as it has recently happened to some of his buddies.

Once again you have captured nature´s delicate beauty in awesome photographs! Thanks, Charlie!

--Betty

[augusthouse]

Charlie,
I was just wondering what the light source was for the darkfield aspect?

Craig

[Charles Krebs]

I was just wondering what the light source was for the darkfield aspect?

The microscope condenser with a darkfield stop in place. I used the halogen bulb for the microscope light instead of the flash since I knew I would be using tungsten light with the fiber optic illuminator and I wanted them to be the same type of light.

[puzzledpaul]

Superb pics, Charlie

pp