Substrate Mites?

[Clawhammer]

Hello!

I have these guys in most of my media, except s/h & mounted, but they really love 100% sphagnum moss. I don't believe they harm the plant but can't say for sure. I have observed them closely and I think they eat algae, fungus, and decaying matter in the pots.

They are able to be seen with the naked eye but I combined my magnifying glass (30x) and my iphone camera to get this pic and video (better).

I'd love to know more about what they are as I can't seem to get a good ID. They have survived neem and imidacloprid treatments and I have resigned myself to their companionship for the long haul.

[Ray]

Psocids, possibly. AKA Wood lice.

They are treatable with many insecticide drenches, but don't forget that most insecticides only kill adults, so any immature bugs or eggs are unaffected. That's why 3 treatments at one-week intervals are prescribed.

[Clawhammer]

Thanks Ray, but I don't think that is right.

I can get a much better view with my mag glass with my eye and the insects are cigar shaped (non-segmented, tapered towards the end) and metallic. They look like slender non-winged roaches.

They move fast, especially in the substrate. They are present in huge numbers in pots with all sphagnum.

They cannot be found when the substrate dries out but are out immediately after watering.

[hypostatic]

Hey, these look like springtails to me. Google "silver springtails" to see some more examples.

If they ARE springtails, they would be eating exactly what you've indicated -- basically fungi/molds and microbial biofilms. Springtails shouldn't be harmful to your plants directly, but a LARGE population of them would indicate a large food source; e.g. lot's of mold/bacteria. If this is the case, it might be time to replace your media and give your plants a good rinse to wash out all the decaying matter.

I've written a few of these posts the last few days lol. I guess it's the time of year. I should just copy + paste haha

[Clawhammer]

98% sure Hypostatic is correct.

Nothing I have should have old media but they are really only "abundant" on my 100% sphagnum moss plants that usually have a lot of algae on the top.

[hypostatic]

Ah, yes, they do love sphag. Tons of surface area, and it's all slowly decomposing lol.

I think the silver springs don't eat algae though, so I don't think you'll see that decrease much as the springtail population goes up