| abstract | A new species of Rhinoseius is described and illustrated, based principally on specimens from the flowers of Castilleja spp. (Scrophulariaceae) and from the bills of migrant hummingbirds in California. Like its many tropical counterparts, this mite feeds and reproduces in flowers, exploiting hummingbirds for transportation. For the genus, R. epoecus is unusual in displaying pronounced male polymorphism, and in undergoing enormous seasonal population fluctuations. |