Redlegged earth mites

The redlegged earth mite (RLEM).

Adult RLEM are 1 mm in length and 0.6 mm wide (the size of a pin head) with 8 red-orange legs and a completely black velvety body. Newly hatched mites are pinkish-orange with 6 legs, are only 0.2 mm long and are not generally visible to the untrained eye. The larval stage is followed by three nymphal stages in which the mites have 8 legs and resemble the adult mite, but are smaller and sexually undeveloped.