Pest ID help

[Synapze]

One of my beetle tanks is infested with these things. They can't fly or climb smooth surfaces, and drown when misted... which has been my strategy so far. I really don't want to break down this enclosure. Has anyone else encountered these pests?

These are the best images I can get because they are much smaller than a melanogaster. I have a suspicion they hitchhiked on a piece of parsley from my garden... I thought I had washed it thoroughly.

 

[Firenkyo]

Could they be termites maybe? I don't know much about termite reproduction, but it seems weird that they'd be able to grow to such a population without a queen. I did find a couple articles on asexual reproduction and some info that worker females can turn into breeding females (but then they'd develop wings??).

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scie...ermite colonies,kings and their own offspring.

Or maybe barklice?

I think there are a few species that don't have wings as adults. Don't know what they'd be doing on parsley, but they look similar to the guys in the video. The ones I've encountered have been pretty slow, and most articles say that they're slow as well. But maybe wingless species are faster?

If you could catch some you could put them in rubbing alcohol or the freezer to kill them, then you might be able to get a better look at them?

 

[Synapze]

In the freezer they went and you're right... book lice! I wasn't able to do an good image search with the low quality photos I took. I had placed a bark log covered with lichen in the enclosure, so I believe that was the source. According to what I've read they like lichens and mold. I'm just going to break down the enclosure and sanitize everything.

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[Firenkyo]

Yay! Glad I could help! Sorry you still have to redo the enclosure though, I hope you get rid of them all!

 

[Mystymantis]

Oh yes those are booklice. They can quickly infest things. I have had trouble with them before. They love to eat starch and flour. Which is why they are called booklice because they will feed on the glue on books.

 

[Synapze]

Oh yes those are booklice. They can quickly infest things. I have had trouble with them before. They love to eat starch and flour. Which is why they are called booklice because they will feed on the glue on books.

Luckily it appears they can't climb smooth surfaces. I think this enclosure needs a reset.

 

[Mystymantis]

Luckily it appears they can't climb smooth surfaces. I think this enclosure needs a reset.

Yeah I think they need something to grip to climb. Once the enclosure is cleaned and reset it should be good as new.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Have you tried mite paper under the tank? Also I agree, clean out the tank. What kind of bettles?

 

[Synapze]

Have you tried mite paper under the tank? Also I agree, clean out the tank. What kind of bettles?

I haven't tried mite paper. The only place I see them are in the enclosure... they can't climb out. Cleaning it all out is on my to on today's chore list. It's an enclosure with about 12 blue death feigning beetles. Another enclosure with 10 which is pest free. Trying to breed these cute critters.

 

[Synapze]

@hibiscusmile All cleaned up. It took longer to pick out the beetles than it did to sanitize the enclosure. Now it's time to bake some substrate before the spouse gets home.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

[Orin]

The ones I had disappeared shortly after the lichen was removed.