- Nov 14, 2012
- 251
- 41
- 141
just a note on Mites.. my skin has been crawling.. since i found several things on the birds and did the bath & dust..
'today - I got this in the K-state.. hort. newsletter..
not all bugs are bad.. gee I had just gone out and found these 2 days ago,
and promptly went and dusted DE.
now. .i wish i hadnt..
PESTS
Velvet Mites
When dining out on Memorial Day, I passed a planter box sitting on a rock wall and noted numerous tiny red dots moving about. Having seen this many times in the past, I recognized the red dots as red velvet mites.
The word “mites” congers up “Oh no!” responses from many people. However, red velvet
mites (RVMs) are beneficial. They are a type of predatory mite that both parasitize and prey upon various smaller organisms including insects, as well as other mite species which are economically deleterious to field and vegetable crops, flowers and other ornamentals, and trees and shrubs.
RVMs are found in various moist habitats including soil, litter and debris. They are aptly named for their velvety appearance due the dense covering/coat of hairs. RVMs belong to the taxonomic family Trombidiidae. In size, they are relatively large (easily seen) in comparison to the various species of spider mites (Family: Tetranychidae) which is notorious for causing damage to the above-mentioned commodities.
Unlike spider mite development which is rapid (egg to adult from 1 to 3 weeks depending on temperatures, and thus resulting in overlapping generations and rapid population buildups), RVMs usually produce but a single generation per year. Being very sensitive to desiccation, populations are dependent on adequate “friendly” moisture availability.
There is an interesting account of a mating ritual: after a male RVM places a sperm droplet on an elevated surface (grass blade, twig), he creates a silken trail as an invitation to a female, who (if interested) will move forward and sit on the sperm. If a rival male enters the picture, he will destroy the sperm droplet and replace it with his, but using the previous male’s silken trail. Fertilized eggs are deposited in the soil. Newly-emerged “larvae” will attach to (and parasitize) an available insect/arthropod host. Eventually molting into nymphs and transitioning through various stages thereof, as well as molting into the adult stage, RVM’s become predatory in habit, feeding on insect eggs as well as other small invertebrates.
The take-home message is that, should you observe red dots scurrying about in and around your property, be assured that they are not itty-bitty nuisance mites such as clover mites, red mites, spider mites, chiggers or anything “bad.” But rather, they are red velvet mites which should be appreciated for their beneficial role. (Bob Bauernfeind)
'today - I got this in the K-state.. hort. newsletter..
not all bugs are bad.. gee I had just gone out and found these 2 days ago,
and promptly went and dusted DE.
now. .i wish i hadnt..
PESTS
Velvet Mites
When dining out on Memorial Day, I passed a planter box sitting on a rock wall and noted numerous tiny red dots moving about. Having seen this many times in the past, I recognized the red dots as red velvet mites.
The word “mites” congers up “Oh no!” responses from many people. However, red velvet
mites (RVMs) are beneficial. They are a type of predatory mite that both parasitize and prey upon various smaller organisms including insects, as well as other mite species which are economically deleterious to field and vegetable crops, flowers and other ornamentals, and trees and shrubs.
RVMs are found in various moist habitats including soil, litter and debris. They are aptly named for their velvety appearance due the dense covering/coat of hairs. RVMs belong to the taxonomic family Trombidiidae. In size, they are relatively large (easily seen) in comparison to the various species of spider mites (Family: Tetranychidae) which is notorious for causing damage to the above-mentioned commodities.
Unlike spider mite development which is rapid (egg to adult from 1 to 3 weeks depending on temperatures, and thus resulting in overlapping generations and rapid population buildups), RVMs usually produce but a single generation per year. Being very sensitive to desiccation, populations are dependent on adequate “friendly” moisture availability.
There is an interesting account of a mating ritual: after a male RVM places a sperm droplet on an elevated surface (grass blade, twig), he creates a silken trail as an invitation to a female, who (if interested) will move forward and sit on the sperm. If a rival male enters the picture, he will destroy the sperm droplet and replace it with his, but using the previous male’s silken trail. Fertilized eggs are deposited in the soil. Newly-emerged “larvae” will attach to (and parasitize) an available insect/arthropod host. Eventually molting into nymphs and transitioning through various stages thereof, as well as molting into the adult stage, RVM’s become predatory in habit, feeding on insect eggs as well as other small invertebrates.
The take-home message is that, should you observe red dots scurrying about in and around your property, be assured that they are not itty-bitty nuisance mites such as clover mites, red mites, spider mites, chiggers or anything “bad.” But rather, they are red velvet mites which should be appreciated for their beneficial role. (Bob Bauernfeind)
