I saw a decimal-sized dot walking on my hand. I wanted to know what this is, so I got it onto some paper and sandwiched below a piece of clear tape so I could keep it in place and photograph it. However it's so small that even with my camera lens almost touching the specimen, I can't get a great photo. It's small, about 0.8mm long, beige or gray or brown with a pattern on the back. It's a little smooshed from the tape so it's hard to tell if it has 6 or 8 legs and is an insect or an arachnid. But hopefully based on the shape, size, and pattern it can be identified.

Location is southern California.

[![smallspider][1]][1]

[![smallspider][2]][2]

**Update**: I now believe this to be a rat mite or bird mite. I'll include some additional photos that were better quality (photos were taken with a close-focus camera, mites were on printer paper underneath Scotch tape, back-lit by an LED light):

[![rat mite, with ruler for scale][3]][3]

[![rat mite, partially fed][4]][4]

[![rat mite][5]][5]

[![rat mite, unfed][6]][6]

[![rat mite, fed][7]][7]

[![rat mite, unfed][8]][8]


  [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/gJYy1.jpg
  [2]: https://i.sstatic.net/LyVae.jpg
  [3]: https://i.sstatic.net/nCVLk.jpg
  [4]: https://i.sstatic.net/33q0n.jpg
  [5]: https://i.sstatic.net/zWiXX.jpg
  [6]: https://i.sstatic.net/UMFid.jpg
  [7]: https://i.sstatic.net/7xrE5.jpg
  [8]: https://i.sstatic.net/V0vkv.jpg