Peacock mites (genus Tuckerellidae) are named for their elaborate ornaments on the dorsal side of their body. They also have a whip-like hair, which they use to defend against predators. And leave it to nature to make something beautiful and deleterious - peacock mites are a pesky pest in agriculture. The picture above is a peacock mite on a tea stem, magnified 260x. Peacock mite [wiki] |