New Micro Food Source from Bean Beetles?

[ems1016]

Phil had mentioned once about the possibility of culturing some micro bugs found in a bean beetle culture. I took this picture tonight showing eggs and the insects. They do not appear to be mites and I am "culturing" them unintentionally by not replacing bean beetle cultures with clean containers. They almost resemble a transparent isopod and appear to have more than four legs.

Just wondering if this is what you were talking about Phil and whether others have noticed these insects. There are literally thousands of them in a single FF container. Could these not be used to feed our tinier froglets?

Ed

[Philsuma]

Ed....do a search for Book lice or Bark Lice.

The "little guys" that I was culturing, or I should say, trying to culture only lasted 1 month or so and then they petered out.

The looked like tan coloured springtails / termites and for the short time they lived, they were really prolific. I think they lived and bred in the frass - bottom of the Bean Beetle cup,with the dead BB and other detritus.

Try to get a....better pic, if you can, Ed.

[D3monic]

not sure what i am looking at... arent those snail looking things eggs? Or do they move around? I don't keep bean beatles so forgive me

[Philsuma]

more...

My bugs were def tan - not clear.

They were very 'springtail and termite looking" and had some small antenna.

The were def bark or book lice....

I think you may have a different kind o' bug

Have a gander at these Bug I.D websites :
identification-f38/good-insect-identification-websites-t4266.html

[Philsuma]

not sure what i am looking at... arent those snail looking things eggs? Or do they move around? I don't keep bean beatles so forgive me

Bean Beetle eggs look and feel like little tiny drops of hard clear superglue....those clear dots are BB eggs

[ems1016]

Sorry, D3monic and Phil for the image, but I don't have a good enough camera to take a closer shot. No, the egg-like images don't move, but all the hundred of tiny spots all around are living organisms of some sort. If there is someone out there who has better equipment or a microscope, I would be happy to send a sample. The dark object towards the center is a bean beetle. They seem constantly grooming themselves to remove these smaller insects from their bodies.

Just for the record, although I'm a newbie, I have followed all the protocols for raising FFs and BBs and am doing so successfully with mite paper and sterilized cups. Only the BB cups have not been changed and no new beans were added. In a little over two months, these tiny insects appear. They are of a parchment color. Ed

[Philsuma]

Hmmm...I'm going to vote for a mite of some kind....

[D3monic]

Yea, under a microscope they probably look similar to the ones I had

[ems1016]

Yes, based upon what I can see with an eye loupe through the eyes of an old man, D3, that is what they seem to look like. Good food for tiny pum froglets or stay away?

[Philsuma]

I'm gonna say.....freeze all those mite infected cx's and start over, Ed. Put the whole culture cup in the freezer for three days.

That's what I'd do, anyway. The ability of those mites to multiple and become a bigger pain in the ass far out ways any potential they would have for pumilio food.

[ems1016]

Phil, consider it done! Thanks! Ed

[Philsuma]

Here's what I had going on, Ed...

Book "lice"....not true lice, obviously (scratch, scratch). The pumilio froglets did love them, while they lasted.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Book%20l ... 76&bih=632

[RichFrye]

Wait about a week or so and see if they 'turn into' worms...possibly pre-soil nemotaodes.
Are there areas where they are much more piled up?

Rich

[RichFrye]

Update on those Ed?

Rich

[Philsuma]

Ed..Rich...anyone have these bugs unitentionally being cultured or in viv populations ?

Order Psocodea - Barklice, Booklice,

First entry on this page - http://bugguide.net/node/view/67

[EntoCraig]

I do and I'm intentionally introducing them into my vivariums. They eat lichens and algae and are basically another form of janitor for the tank. Younger frogs do feed on them, but populations are slim... Mine are temperate so I'm not positive if they are reproducing or not, or if they are being out competed by springtails, which seem more useful and do the same job. The species I work with are wingless.

I collect them in my funnel trap while sifting for isos, pseudos, and whatever else falls out.

I guess I could separate them and whip up a culture or 2. Same setup as springtails should work perfectly.

[RichFrye]

Ed..Rich...anyone have these bugs unitentionally being cultured or in viv populations ?

Order Psocodea - Barklice, Booklice,

First entry on this page - http://bugguide.net/node/view/67

I've not noticed any, but in some of my vivs I can scoop up a handful of LL and not be able to identify anything easily.

[Philsuma]

The bark lice I had going, exploded in one 1 of 6 bean beetle cx's for some odd reason. The bugs were on the fast side - locomotion wise and only lasted a few weeks, then petered out. They seemed to live in the frass, old beans and assorted detritus.

that particular culture had 4-6 "layers" of beans, with the oldest being at least 6-8 months. So between discarded beans, dead beetles, frass and whatever else, they must have had a buffet and conditions were just right. But it didn't last.

[EntoCraig]

They do need a bit of moisture and its likely the dry been culture could sustain enough for them to keep going. Might depend on species though, not sure...

[Philsuma]

Bump...