Insect or Invertebrates Identification - DONE

[Richprins]

Southeast Botswana:

[Klipspringer]

A Velvet Mite (Family Trombidiidae: Dinothrombium sp.)

Compared with most mites, the brightly red-orange coloured adults of the genus Dinothrombium are among the largest known mites, with
some individuals of the African species exceeding 12 mm in length. The giant velvet mite is covered with a thick red coat of scarlet
hair-like setae. The adults have eight legs but the young hatchlings emerge with six legs, not eight.
They are found in sandy desert areas, in soil, and in soil litter habitats around the world. Adult velvet mites spend most of their lives in subterranean burrows in a diapause-like state waiting for a specific set of ecological conditions triggered by summer rains. On desert soils, adults only emerge to the surface of the sand after heavy rain, and may only forage for a few hours per year. What a comfy lifestyle!

Perhaps you are also interested in their mating rituals :
During mating, the male and the female are involved in a “mating dance” during which they encircle each other and tap each other with their
forelegs. The males deposit sperm onto leaves and twigs, and then lay down a trail that leads to them. A female follows the path then “sits” in the sperm. After mating, the female lays as many as 100,000 eggs.
The larvae hatch from eggs, and survive initially as parasites, attaching themselves to insects such as grasshoppers. Once fully fed the six-legged
larva detaches itself and subsequently develops through three eight-legged stages, proto-, deuto- and tritonymph to an adult in the soil. Adults
are predators of small arthropods and their eggs.

[Lisbeth]

[Richprins]

Klippies!

A hornymite!

Yes, this thing was big, that is my whole arm there.

And a sandy camp spot under a tree!

[Flutterby]

Thought it was a tick.

[Klipspringer]

They are boths arachnids

[Flutterby]

[nan]

I've got one, from the other side
also a bad picture.. sorry

Kgalagadi 19.1.2016

Velvet Mite

[Klipspringer]

pretty

[Flutterby]

The Creamy Owl Moths were back again last night and I found this moth in the kitchen.

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