12/07/2016
Red velvet mite known as "गोकुल गाय " at Pempura Farm--finally found them after so many years...
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Description: Red velvet mite (Indian Vi**ra) Red Velvet mites are arachnids found in soil litter in the month of July. It's known for their bright red colours but is often mistaken for spiders. They are active predators as grown adults but early instars are often parasites on insects.They look like a thumbprint." Most of red velvet mites are egg-shaped. Fine decorative hairs, some of which may serve as feelers, give the creatures their lush red velvet appearance. Sensitive to humidity and apt to dry out easily, red velvet mites make their home in the litter layer of woodlands and forests. They live from one to several years depending on the species. As larvae, they attach themselves to a variety of arthropods and feed parasitically. They will suck blood from a gnat or grasshopper, for instance, sometimes hitching a ride with several other mites. When red velvet mites become nymphs and then adults, they take to the soil to devour much smaller prey, including other mites and their eggs, the eggs of insects and snails, and primitive wingless insects. The presence of red velvet mites is extremely important to the environment. "These mites are part of a community of soil arthropods that is critical in terms of rates of decomposition in woodlands and in maintaining the structure of the entire ecosystem," says Heneghan. "By feeding on insects that eat fungi and bacteria, they stimulate the decomposition process. And when they are removed from the area, many critical processes in the soil go much slower." The oil from the red velvet mite Trombidium grandissimum called "Teej" in Hindi is used in traditional Indian medicine to treat paralysis. Also, due to their alleged ability to increase sexual desire, Trombidium mites are known locally as "Indian Vi**ra". Dry Trombidium in a Chhatishgarh market.----Unquote