Hannah Davis

Thanks! There are so many species that nest in the ground - it's always worth taking a closer look at "ant hills" with very round bee or wasp-sized entrances.

Ants of some sort, I think - a big red queen and several smaller males.

Thanks :)

Thanks!

It wasn't particularly large. Right now my best guess is birch shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus), but I'm terrible at IDing these guys.

Too fat, though, I think. Maybe a mimic? Or maybe just a coincidence if you don't have ticks with that colouration where you are.

I'm probably imagining things, but those look a lot like ticks...

It's apparently a beetle larva (Carabidae or Staphylinidae), but if anyone knows what species, please let me know :)

Thanks :)

Update: someone just told me this is a mite of the genus Anystis, a genus of generalist predatory mites.