17/10/2021
IDENTIFICATION ⬇️
The giant velvet mite is covered with thick coat of scarlet hair like setae. The adult has eight legs but the young hatchlings emerge with six legs.
HABITAT ⬇️
They are found in sandy areas, soil, litter habitats, adult velvet mite only emerge to the surface of the sand after heavy rain.
BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY ⬇️
After mating the male deposit s***m onto leaves and twigs and the female allows the path then SITS in the s***m and lays as many as 100000 eggs and survive as parasites, attaching themselves to insects such as grasshoppers.
AGRICULTURE AND MEDICINE ⬇️
In agriculture, they participate in the decomposition process within the soil matter. They have also been considered possible biological control agents for invertebrate pest species.
Velvet mite are harmless to human but extracts are used for the treatment of MALE INFERTILITY AND PARALYSIS.
