This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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If the key to happiness is appreciating the little things in life, then take a moment to appreciate the claw of a microscopic mite only 600 um long. It’s from a new species discovered in the soil of a chestnut plantation where they use their nubbles and knobs (technically known as palettes) to “swim” through the soil in search of… well, we don’t quite know what yet. But something tasty.
Check out more images of these amazing critters in Jennifer Frazer’s post on The Artful Amoeba: New Worm-Like Mite Features Extraordinary Upholstery
Image in the public domain.