Trombidiidae

Common name: Red velvet mites.

Morphology: Large (about 2.5 mm or more in length), usually red mites with a dense coat of dorsal setae, short chelicerae and prodorsal sensilli. The first pair of legs is usually longer than the other legs. The heteromorphic larvae have far fewer dorsal setae and different prodorsal sensilli.

Life history: The Trombidiidae consist of more than 250 species that have a truncated life cycle, with only 3 active stages, larvae, nymphs and adults. The Larvae are ectoparasitic on various insects, spiders and other mites, whereas the nymphs and adults are predators that forage for prey on plants and on the soil surface. These mites develop slowly and usually have only a single annual generation, each female producing several hundred or more eggs.

Economic importance: Several Trombidiidae feed on pest aphids and spider mites (Tetranychidae), reducing their numbers and damage.
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