Jamtikra: With the vivifying touch of monsoon rain, greenery gets resurrected on the earth as fresh foliage covers the soil. Nature is rapturous. And in this verdant blanket, the Red Velvet Mites emerge from under the soil everywhere starting from the village to farmlands, pastures and even hills and forests.
These shy, bright red coloured bugs create the unmatched beauty of a scarlet veil on the green turf. These little bugs, also fondly called as ‘Sadhaba Bohu’, are believed to be beneficial to the environment by many.
These insects are seen in various regions at the onset of monsoon. These were easily visible in large numbers in the loamy and rocky soils of Jamtikra region under Attabira block limits in Bargarh district.
But with the changing climate and the subsequent changes in environment, nowadays, these tiny red beauties have become a rarity. In the bygone days, these bugs used to come out of the soil indicating the arrival of rain to the farmers.
They also helped maintain the fertility of the soil to an extent. In some regions the maiden girls are seen worshipping these insects. But after the rampant use of fertilisers and pesticides in the farmlands, these beautiful creatures are not easily visible like before.
Environmentalists are of the opinion that if special attention is not given to the safety and preservation of these disappearing shy bugs, they will be reduced and limited to only the illustrations of children’s story books in near future.
PNN