You may see, often, these small, red arachnids! They are the red velvet mites! As larvae, these invertebrates are parasites to other small invertebrates or other insect nymphs. However, as adults, like the one seen above, they are active predators, hunting insects similar to its size – like ant workers, termites and other insects’ larvae or nymphs. As you can see, they possess a vibrant red colouration and have many hairs covering its abdomen and legs like velvet. I took the photo of this velvet mite using a macro lens which has magnified it greatly, you can even see the small debris around it – which is really just grit and tiny rocks – is enormous and larger than the red velvet mite. These mites are only 5-6 mm long which is large compared to other mite species and is comparable to the size of an ant worker. These minuscule arachnids live in the soil for most of the year, but they come out shortly after a substantial rain. However, I have seen different patterns in their activity above ground. In their early instars or larval stage, they can be seen as small red specks on invertebrates, they are nourishing themselves on the nutrients of another insect – or more simply, parasitism.