Chigger (Larva)

Natural Habitat

Low-lying, damp areas with thick vegetation, such as forests, grassy fields, gardens, and lake shores.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae feed on skin cells and lymph fluid; adults feed on insect eggs and small arthropods in the soil.

Behavior Patterns

The larvae wait on vegetation to climb onto a host. They do not burrow into skin but inject digestive enzymes that liquefy skin cells for feeding; they drop off after a few days.

Risks & Benefits

Causes intense itching and red welts in humans; while they generally do not transmit disease in the Americas, some species in Asia carry scrub typhus.

Identified on: 1/11/2026