Waste management in spider mites reveals evolutionary insights into arthropod social behavior Researchers at University of Tsukuba have discovered the adaptive significance of the remarkable waste-management behavior in the social spider mite Stigmaeopsis longus, a tiny herbivorous arthropod that lives in cooperative groups. These mites protect their eggs from the adverse effects of fecal accumulation by defecating in designated areas near the nest entrance.
https://phys.org/news/2025-12-....spider-mites-reveals