Serendipitous discovery of mites in the eye cavity of Asota caricae Fabricius, 1775 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)

Natural history collections face threats of deterioration from various quarters especially arthropod pests. Identifying the breeding and hiding sites of such pests is imperative in maintaining museum collections. We report a serendipitous discovery of mites belonging to genus Suidasia from the eye of a recently dry-preserved moth during investigations with SEM. The discovery of a known pest of museum specimens hidden inside the insect highlights the extra care needed to preserve valuable natural history collections.