Velvet Mite - Agricultural Research Council Sheets Library/Velvet Mite.pdf · Velvet mites are...
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Idenficaon Compared with most mites, the brightly coloured adults of the genus Dinothrombium Oudemans, 1910 are among the largest known mites, with some individuals of the African species (D. nctorum) exceeding 12 mm in length. With 22 species known from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and America, the giant velvet mite is covered with a thick red coat of scarlet hair-like setae. The adults have eight legs but the young hatchlings emerge with six legs, not eight. Habitat Dinothrombium members are found in sandy desert areas, in soil, and in soil lier habitats around the world. Adult velvet mites spend most of their lives in subterranean burrows in a diapause-like state waing for a specific set of ecological condions triggered by summer rains. On desert soils, Dinothrombium adults only emerge to the surface of the sand aſter heavy rain, and may only forage for a few hours per year. Biology and ecology During mang, the male and the female are involved in a “mang dance” during which they encircle each other and tap each other with their forelegs. The males deposit sperm onto leaves and twigs, and then lay down a trail that leads to them. A female follows the path then “sits” in the sperm. Aſter mang, female Dinothrombium lays as many as 100,000 eggs. The larvae hatch from eggs, and survive inially as parasites, aaching themselves to insects such as grasshoppers. Once fully fed the six-legged larva detaches itself and subsequently develops through three eight-legged stages, proto-, deuto- and tritonymph to an adult in the soil. Adult Dinothrombium mites are predators of small arthropods and their eggs. Agricultural and medicinal importance The presence of the red velvet mite is crical to the environment. They parcipate in the decomposion process within the soil maer. Owing to their parasism in the larval stage and appete in the mature stage, they have also been considered possible biological control agents for invertebrate pest species. Velvet mites are harmless to humans, but their extracts are used for the treatment of male inferlity and paralysis in tradional Eastern medicine. Some tribes in Namibia consider their appearance as an indicaon of a wet season. Compiled by: Pholoshi Maake and Eddie Ueckermann ARC-Plant Protecon Research Contact: [email protected] www. arc.agric.za Velvet Mite (Family Trombidiidae: Dinothrombium spp.)
Transcript of Velvet Mite - Agricultural Research Council Sheets Library/Velvet Mite.pdf · Velvet mites are...
Identification Compared with most mites, the brightly coloured adults of the genus
Dinothrombium Oudemans, 1910 are among the largest known mites, with
some individuals of the African species (D. tinctorum) exceeding 12 mm in
length. With 22 species known from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and
America, the giant velvet mite is covered with a thick red coat of scarlet
hair-like setae. The adults have eight legs but the young hatchlings emerge
with six legs, not eight.
Habitat Dinothrombium members are found in sandy desert areas, in soil, and in
soil litter habitats around the world. Adult velvet mites spend most of their
lives in subterranean burrows in a diapause-like state waiting for a specific
set of ecological conditions triggered by summer rains. On desert soils,
Dinothrombium adults only emerge to the surface of the sand after heavy
rain, and may only forage for a few hours per year.
Biology and ecology During mating, the male and the female are involved in a “mating dance”
during which they encircle each other and tap each other with their
forelegs. The males deposit sperm onto leaves and twigs, and then lay
down a trail that leads to them. A female follows the path then “sits” in the
sperm. After mating, female Dinothrombium lays as many as 100,000 eggs.
The larvae hatch from eggs, and survive initially as parasites, attaching
themselves to insects such as grasshoppers. Once fully fed the six-legged
larva detaches itself and subsequently develops through three eight-legged
stages, proto-, deuto- and tritonymph to an adult in the soil. Adult
Dinothrombium mites are predators of small arthropods and their eggs.
Agricultural and medicinal importance The presence of the red velvet mite is critical to the environment. They
participate in the decomposition process within the soil matter. Owing to
their parasitism in the larval stage and appetite in the mature stage, they
have also been considered possible biological control agents for
invertebrate pest species.
Velvet mites are harmless to humans, but their extracts are used for the
treatment of male infertility and paralysis in traditional Eastern medicine.
Some tribes in Namibia consider their appearance as an indication of a wet
season.
Compiled by: Pholoshi Maake and Eddie Ueckermann
ARC-Plant Protection Research
Contact: [email protected]
www. arc.agric.za
Velvet Mite (Family Trombidiidae: Dinothrombium spp.)
