Trombidium grandissimum "Giant Red Velvet Mite"
Nutrition
The larvae of T. grandissimum are parasitic.
Their nutrients come directly from their hosts. As adults,
T. grandissimum are predatory. The way T.
grandissimum locates prey is st
ill unknown, but there is
some evidence of chemoreception. Their diet includes termites,
aphids, beetle eggs and spider mites. They are also known
to partake in cannibalism and eat each other! They have a
straight through digestive tract. This means nutrient
sources enter the body through an opening at one end and wastes are
excreted at the opposite end.
Continue on to interactions to learn about the organisms red velvet mites use as hosts.
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