THE RED MANGROVE-TREE CRAB USING THE COMPUTER SCANNER AND THE
INTELPLAY QX3 MICROSCOPE (As recommended by Micscape articles)
by Hugh Mitchell-Tapping, Florida, USA Having read intriguing
Micscape articles concerning the application of the scanner for
recording small biota, such as leaves, flowers, bugs, etc., I
decided to try the technique for myself using a red crab
obtained from the mangroves on an island in Estero Bay in
southwestern Florida. For microscopic examination of parts of
the exoskeleton, I tried using the Intelplay QX3 microscope (now
being sold in the US for less than $60). And here are the
results. The crab Aratus pisonii is a common mangal browser
throughout south Florida and the Caribbean as reported in the
literature. However, in January, February, and March 2001 many
Estero Bay mangroves were searched without finding a single
species. Normally, it can be found clinging to bushes, rocks,
pilings, wharves and mangroves. In Estero Bay and other areas of
Southwest Florida, the creature is a co