A vast slime mite army is dining on a dead fly in S. Catesbaei Purpurea Flava. It is hard to tell that it’s a fly under the slimy layer of mites. Both Macroseius and Sarraceniopus mites are probably both in the slime. The Macroseius show up as bright blobs under the pencam lights, but I am sure their translucent cousins, the Sarraceniopus, are there as well. And probably a few rotifers along with a ton of single cell organisms as well.
Note I was tinkering with backlighting from outside the pitcher with a small LED flashlight. So you will see the lighting change randomly during the video as I move the light
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Eventually, the mite army moved on from the dead fly, leaving a hollowed carcass. One or two mites are still looking for leftovers, though. I bumped the carcass with the pencam. Oops.
A similar smile mite army was spotted eating a wasp in a S. Leucophylla described in the previous post.
More Mite Madness in a different S. Leucophylla. Not on anything in particular, just a bunch of mites on the liquid's surface.
And last but not least, mite madness from last year in a different S. Catesbaei Purpurea Flav pitcher.
NOT the winner of the blobs of the year award (They were robbed!)
