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Project Noah Nature School
Family: Erythaeidae
A soft-looking velvety mite about 8 mm long. being an arachnid it has 4 pairs of legs. Segments of the body are all fused to form one large body part.
Spotted on a eucalyptus tree in a reserve.
The larvae of these large mites are often seen as tiny orange balls stuck to other insects. They are parasitic at this stage. They then drop-off and after a resting period develop into active predatory nymphs. Again, after another rest period, they become predatory adults, feeding on small invertebrates and their eggs.
The larvae of these mites have only three pairs of legs.
My thanks to Mark Ridgway fro correcting the ID. There appear to be a variety of similar looking mites but this one is from
Order: Trombidiformes
Subfamily: Callidostomatinae
- ? Charletonia sp.
- ? Callidosoma sp.
Spotted on Oct 9, 2014
Submitted on Oct 10, 2014
2 Comments
Thanks Mark. Will amend.
Compare ID info here http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/159...