| Trombicula alfreddugesi | |
|---|---|
| Larval harvest mite from North America | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Subclass: | Acari |
| Order: | Trombidiformes |
| Family: | Trombiculidae |
| Genus: | Trombicula |
| Species: | T. alfreddugesi |
| Binomial name | |
| Trombicula alfreddugesi (Oudemans) |
|
Trombicula alfreddugesi also called Eutrombicula alfreddugè or E. alfreddugè, is a species in the genus Trombicula. (Eutrombicula is a subgenus of mites in the mite genus Trombicula of the family Trombiculidae.[1])
It is the common chigger species of the United States, also sometimes called the harvest mite. Chiggers are the parasitic larval stages of these free-living mites.[2] It is rarely, if ever, seen by most people in the dry Western states because they prefer humid climates.[3] They are commonly found in growth and grassy brush areas; the larvae host on animals (e.g. reptiles, birds, and wild and domestic mammals), causing welts that can turn into dermatitis. See chiggers.