Chigger (Harvest Mite Larva)

Tall grass, weeds, berry patches, and wooded areas with high humidity.

Larvae feed on skin cells and lymph fluid of hosts (humans, rodents, birds, reptiles); adults eat insect eggs and small arthropods.

Larvae wait on vegetation to climb onto a host. They do not burrow into the skin but inject digestive enzymes that liquefy skin cells, creating a feeding tube called a stylostome. They typically feed for 3-4 days before dropping off.

Risks: Causes intensive itching and red welts (chigger bites) in humans. In some parts of Asia, certain species can transmit scrub typhus. Benefits: Adults play a minor role in the ecosystem by preying on other small soil organisms.