So what are these little buggers?

[chickenwhisperer]

Found these guys on the underside of my cantalope plant, Its not really growing anymore so I pulled it.
But I still have other plants I dont want these guys to get into...
I sprayed everything down with really soapy water also.
I have only seen these on the one cantalope plant.

I guess they must be some type of aphid, but I had aphids before on my pumpkin plant(also pulled) and they looked much different than these guys.
These are much smaller than the aphids I found, and the aphids reminded me of tiny grasshoppers almost, these look like little blobs with thorns sticking out of their butts.
Pics taken with a usb microscope(you can almost see the clorophyll in the leaf)

 

[thistlebloom]

I have no idea, but what an interesting photo!

 

[desertlady]

did they damage the plant? I wish I can see it -NOT so closed up ! But its a cool picture! and I hope I dont have this creature!

 

[digitS']

aphids?

 

[thistlebloom]

Ewww! The closer they get the worse they look!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

yep, as ugly as those little buggers are they are aphids!

btw, here's something i bet no one ever thought about with them! my dh is always sending me science stuff related to gardening and animals, or in the case of this....bugs.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/green-aphid-photosynthesis/

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Thanks for that pic digits, looks like they are in fact aphids.
They look really different than last time tho...
The last ones I was able to get a pic with my camera phone, these ones are much too small to be photographed this way.

I WANT TO BE CERTAIN THESE ARE NOT SPIDER MITES

 

[chickenwhisperer]

did they damage the plant? I wish I can see it -NOT so closed up ! But its a cool picture! and I hope I dont have this creature!

Yes, they damaged the plant leaves. I thought the vines were just dying, but I noticed some dirt-like crustiness on the upper leaves where dirt couldnt possibly get to.
Took the leaf inside to the usb microscope and thats what I found on the underside.
To my naked eye, these all look like little grains of sand and the dark ones look like dirt, I couldnt tell this was even bugs till i got it under the scope...
They dont run away or even move very much, but I can see them pulsating .
I wish the microscope took videos, but it only does stills, I can see real-time live-action thru the scope before I take a pic, but it wont record the video

 

[Smiles Jr.]

They look like my grand son's PokyMon thingies. Tell us more about your usb microscope please.

 

[Kassaundra]

I agree aphids, and they are hateful garden killers. I mostly agree they are ugly to look at too, but I have a cool pic of aphids that almost makes them look good.