Red Velvet Mite

Natural Habitat

Found in soil, leaf litter, and on garden plants such as the pepper leaf shown here.

Diet & Feeding

As adults, they are predatory, feeding on insect eggs and small invertebrates like aphids. Larvae are typically parasitic on other arthropods.

Behavior Patterns

They are active during the day and often emerge after rain. They have a complex life cycle moving from parasitic larvae to free-living predatory nymphs and adults.

Risks & Benefits

They are beneficial to ecosystems and gardens as they control pest populations by eating insect eggs. They are harmless to humans and do not bite or transmit diseases.

Identified on: 6/4/2026