Red velvet mite fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are red velvet mites?

Red velvet mites are tiny animals in the arachnid group, so they are related to spiders, scorpions and ticks. They are called red velvet mites because their bodies are covered with fine hairs that give them a soft, velvety look. Their bright red colour makes them easy to notice when they are out in the open.

Red velvet mites are usually found in soil, leaf litter and other sheltered places on the ground. In Sydney bushland, they are most likely to be seen crawling over soil, rocks or litter, especially in damp conditions or after rain. Unlike red spider mites, which feed on plants, red velvet mites are mostly predators as nymphs and adults.

A red velvet mite.

A red velvet mite on a tree trunk.

Where do red velvet mites live?

Red velvet mites usually live close to the ground. They shelter in soil, leaf litter, mulch, under rocks and beneath fallen branches or logs. These damp, protected places help stop them from drying out.

In Sydney bushland, red velvet mites are most likely to be found in leaf litter and ground cover habitats, rather than on leaves. They can be seen moving across bare soil or litter after rain, but they spend much of their lives hidden in the ground.

Red velvet mites often move through damp leaf litter and soil on the bushland floor.

What do red velvet mites eat?

Adult and nymph red velvet mites are predators. They feed on other very small animals such as insects, insect eggs and other tiny arthropods. This makes them helpful members of the bushland food web.

The larval stage is different. Red velvet mite larvae attach to another arthropod, such as an insect, and act as a parasite. After feeding, they drop off and continue developing in the soil.

Adult red velvet mites are predators that can feed on small insects and other tiny arthropods.

What is the life cycle of a red velvet mite?

Red velvet mites begin life as eggs laid in the soil. The eggs hatch into tiny six-legged larvae. These larvae attach to another arthropod and feed as parasites.

After this stage, the mite drops off and develops through nymph stages into an eight-legged adult. The nymphs and adults are free-living predators. This means red velvet mites change the way they live and feed as they grow.

Red velvet mite larvae can attach to other arthropods before later stages live freely in the soil.

What adaptations do red velvet mites have to help them survive?

Red velvet mites have several adaptations that help them survive. Their bright red colour may warn predators that they are not good to eat. Their body is covered in fine hairs, which gives them a velvety appearance and may help protect them.

They also spend much of their lives hidden in soil and litter, where conditions are cooler and moister. Their life cycle is another useful adaptation. The larvae can feed by attaching to another arthropod, while the nymphs and adults hunt small prey in the soil.

Red velvet mites are often seen on damp ground after rain.

Why are red velvet mites important?

Red velvet mites are important because they are predators in soil and leaf litter food webs. By feeding on small invertebrates and eggs, they help keep populations of other tiny animals in balance.

They are also part of the amazing biodiversity of bushland habitats. Even though they are small, they show how much life is hidden in soil and litter. Healthy bushland depends on many small animals like red velvet mites.

Red velvet mites are important predators in soil and leaf litter food webs.

How can you help red velvet mites?

You can help red velvet mites by protecting the places where they live. Try to leave leaf litter, mulch, logs and ground cover in gardens and bushland instead of removing everything from the ground. These materials provide shelter for many small animals.

Avoid unnecessary use of broad-spectrum pesticides, because these can harm helpful invertebrates as well as pests. Protecting healthy bushland and garden habitats helps red velvet mites and other small predators survive.

Leaf litter, logs and undisturbed soil provide shelter for red velvet mites and other small invertebrates.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Arachnids fact sheet – Learn more about the group that includes spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites.
• Whirligig mite fact sheet – Compare another tiny predatory mite that may be seen on bark, leaves and during a tree shake.
• Spider fact sheet – Learn about other arachnid predators found in Field of Mars Reserve.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Leaf litter fact sheet – Leaf litter helps shelter tiny animals such as mites and other invertebrates.
• Rock and log habitats fact sheet – Rocks, logs and damp shelter sites provide habitat for many small bushland animals.
• Tree habitats fact sheet – Bark, trunks and branches can support tiny invertebrates and the animals that hunt them.
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet – Learn about the local bushland ecosystem that includes leaf litter, rocks, logs and bark habitats.
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – Explore the local reserve where red velvet mites and other small invertebrates may be found.

Food webs and ecological relationships

• Termite fact sheet – Termites share sheltered ground habitats with many other tiny bushland invertebrates.
• Earwigs fact sheet – Earwigs also use leaf litter, bark and fallen branches as shelter.

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