This is a video that I have hoped someone to post. I’ve wanted a microscope just for studying the soil food web of different critters, microbes and fungi. Thanks so much. Now I must search the university’s for surplus scopes. Carry on my good man. Carry on.
The brown coloured mites I would assume are a brown species of mite rather than red mites. If you're lucky, they might be Strateolaelaps scimitus that predate on fungus gnat and mosquito larvae. You definitely have some fly larvae in there (the maggoty things), but I don't know what kind. The fast moving white critters I think are probably springtails? I am very tempted to get myself one of those little microscopes! I hadn't realised they were affordable, and this is so cool.
Thank you for this awesome informative comment! My guess is they are semi-dormant fruit fly larva, from what I've read they can stay in their larval stage for a long time if conditions aren't favorable. Hopefully, I have the good types of mites. I can't recommend the microscope enough, it's not the best but it works really great for this little hobby stuff.
From what I saw, the only might that moved was more red in color. The brown colored ones seemed to be dead mites which were probably more red when alive.
Fascinating -WoW 😳 I loved every second!! I laughed out loud so loudly that I scared the pup! 🙀 34:40 🤣 & then 34:58 😬 You couldn't even say it 😂 "💩"-ing from it's, ehem, anus, after (apparently) eating A LOT. You cracked me up! Incredible shots of the setae! 2 rows ventrally on either side of the underbelly!! They have little muscles that push them out for them to move with! That was a wonderful film of the Microverse! This was a FABULOUS Video, I liked, subscribed & am anxiously awaiting another journey with you Dustin!!
Thank you so much! Im glad you enjoyed it. I was so excited to get some of the shots i did! The setae were so cool! I was amazed at how sharp and hooked they are!
Watching this makes me believe the a worm has a up and a down side when it is gliding through the dirt. The spikes are in rows but they were not all the way around. I don't say this for a fact, but just seams to be what I saw. I am not sure. I was waiting to see if it spiked the maggot for a little personal protection. It had spikes all the way down to its back side. But cool any way you look at it...... Best wishes from south Florida....
It looks to me also that the worms definitely have a "belly" and the spike run along their side and just under and next to the bottle mostly. Best I could see was there are two rows of spikes on each side and slightly angled under the body of the worm. I could be wrong though, I'm just going off of what I saw. It definitely looks like that with the worm that was crawling on the paper. There is a point where to can just barely see the spikes under the worm.
Worms definitely have an upper side and under side. I never realised this before I started keeping them and looking at them more closely. The under side is usually a paler colour, and those amazing spikes (setae) let them grip just about anything, including letting them move upside down across a smooth roof! Their anatomy is a lot more complex than most people assume, and absolutely fascinating.
@@franklittle After making this video I decided to dive in and refresh what I knew about worms and learn as much as I can more. I'm amazed by these little creatures and you're right they are so much more complex than people might realize.
Absolutely fascinating . well done ol chap. Peep my ig . ive used organics for a while but this is my first run with a living soil "sip" tub I made. I put a few dozen nifhy crawlers glfrom the bait shop and there were always mites. But I saw some "pot worms " this morning and luckily found this. Thanks a ton growmie. 😆✌
