Velvet Mite

Dinothrombium spp.

In keeping with the insect theme, I thought I'd add this little critter to the collection. I know it's already been posted on Kirk's blog, but I think it's cool enough to deserve a double viewing. Especially since it carries the added bonus of being 100% harmless to anything except winged termites!

Anyway, these little guys, commonly known as Velvet Mites, are categorized as arachnids and have the privelege of being known as the world's largest mites. They live underground most of the time, but come out after a good rain to check and make sure we surface dwellers aren't destroying everything beyond repair.