# Insects



## FarCanal (Mar 12, 2008)

Just noticed these insects on my C. Xwillisii which has an open flower ATM. Not noticed insects in my emersed tank before, I counted 5. Hard to get a good photo of as they are really tiny and trying to photo through the foggy glass makes it more difficult. I'm guessing that insects would have to be this small to pollinate crypts. The 4th pic seems to be a different type .....


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

Get some ladybugs.


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## Gordon C. Snelling (Jun 20, 2007)

The top three at least look like some kind of springtail. Not at all uncommon visitors to terrariums.


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## FarCanal (Mar 12, 2008)

I've seen a lot of insect activity lately, found this guy floating around in one of my new emersed tanks. I couldn't catch any of the flying critters. Styrofoam looks cool under the macro, the insect is less than 2mm long. I can see why they call them springtails .....


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I agree with Gordon C. Springtails never seem to do any harm to the plants. They appear to eat a little algae, but not even very much of that.


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## FarCanal (Mar 12, 2008)

Got some better shots of the insects hanging around my Crypt flowers. I dissected 3 flowers yesterday and they all had bugs in them, the first one had 4 little black bugs that crawled out and flew away when I freed them but I managed to get these ones in frame from the other flowers.

   

Wouldn't have noticed this one if he wasn't moving around


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## Noto (Oct 26, 2009)

You've got mites!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

These things look so gross! How do the bugs find these things! Amazing!!! 

Incredible pxs!!


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## Khamul1of9 (Oct 25, 2005)

The ticks of the plant world. Kill them all.
Ok so now I am confused, up until now everywhere I read humidity and spritzing/spraying often keeps mites away. But crypts grow emersed so I assume that this crypt was in a high humidity environment. Anyhow, one easy way to kill them would be to flood your setup and get all the crypts underwater, at least for a day. But would that cause them to melt?


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## Ghazanfar Ghori (Jan 27, 2004)

Nice pix! Top pics I agree - look like springtails - harmless. The rest - I dont know - ticks - bedbugs for all I know.


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## FarCanal (Mar 12, 2008)

One of the earlier shots is a springtail, the more recent photos, I think, are of spider mites. When I looked them up there were thousands of varieties and they do like humid environments. I've had them hanging around for some time, they don't seem to be a problem .... yet. I have 4 emersed setups and I'll trial a treatment with confidor on one of them.


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## illustrator (Jul 18, 2010)

There are many species of mites, some eat plants and can be serious pests. Others are carnivorous and actually eat plant pests. I guess that the best way to find out is to very carefully check your plants for possible damage like yellow spots.

Springtails are generally harmless or beneficial, because most eat fungus. You could even think of introducing them in your cultures! You can recognise them because they jump away when you disturb them (= come very close with a finger).


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