The annual occupation of our outside kitchen sills by tiny red mites has begun.
There's bigger ones and tiny babies all rushing round on random paths searching for food and who knows what! I assume there scoffing algae from the hot white plastic.
Fascinating to watch, like crimson computer programs, I wouldn't want to be covered in these spider mites. No way! They always make me think of Mars. The red mites of Mars!
There's tons of snaps of these scarlet critters online and the natural close-ups are the best.
This fella looks like its crawling over sulphur pustules on Olympus Mons!
Mites like these have inspired artists for centuries.
Modern dabbers give it all they've got like this fabulous rearing bug by Tully Summers.
But like many I feel it's Terence Cuneo's vintage insectoids that really capture the true grotesquery of a martian mite like no other artist, as in this nauseating crawler from 1969.
Do you like mites readers? Have they inspired you?
Watch out, Woodsy! They start off small and cute, but have been know to grow to over 7 ft tall with a hunger for vintage plastic toys :)
ReplyDeleteha ha, plastic eaters! I think that's a book Tone!
DeleteWhat a great picture, especially with one of HG Wells' Martians on the lower left...
ReplyDeleteYes its one we've featured a few times Captain. Wotan brought Cuneo's HG Wells creeps to our attention a long time ago now and they just won't stay down!
DeleteThe jungle like setting of the picture is interesting. It makes me think of the end of Wells' book, where they speculate the Martians have moved on to invading Venus.
ReplyDelete