Scarlet velvet mites are about four millimetres long. They are covered in tiny hairs that give them a velvety appearance.

Mites are not insects but are related to spiders and ticks. They play an important role in protecting and conserving the environment of the planet — they break down and recycle rotting vegetation. This tiny species lives in soil or leaf litter. On close examination through a microscope, one would find that these mites look startlingly like what one would imagine aliens to be. Adult mites normally have four pairs of legs but only three pairs are present in young mites.

Like most mites, the velvet mites have no antennae and use the front pair of legs as feelers to find out where they are going. The velvet mite feeds on any creature smaller than itself including other mites, springtails and false scorpions.