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[AntswerMe]

Hi there, I just caught this Camponotus castaneus queen that I have been trying to get for months now. I am probably going to start a journal on her if things go well. She looks great, but I noticed a small orange arthropod attached to her third left leg, which is probably a mite. It is likely parasitic, being attached to her leg. What should I do about this? How should I get it off of her?


http://s1259.photobu...zpsnjyrsr8e.jpg

Edited by AntswerMe, May 20 2017 - 7:18 PM.

[123LordOfAnts123]

I've seen these mites before, and like yours only in queens of C. castaneus. They may belong to the genus Oplitus. I never saw more than two mites per queen; they always seemed to attach to where the tibia meets the tarsus on only the third pair of legs. They're likely specialized parasites on this sole species, and on this specific body part, which would explain their color. I doubt they'd reach harmful levels, and with my queens I never saw the mites again past the first workers. If you want you can cool the queen down and pick them off carefully with tweezers. Or, just don't worry about it too much.