Human scabies mite
Scientific Name: Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis
Order & Family: Order: Sarcoptiformes, Family: Sarcoptidae
Size: Microscopic; females are approximately 0.30 to 0.45 mm long, males are half that size.
Natural Habitat
Burrows exclusively within the upper layer (stratum corneum) of human skin.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds on dissolved skin cells and extracellular fluid produced as they burrow.
Behavior Patterns
The female mite burrows into the skin to lay eggs; transmission occurs through direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact with an infested person.
Risks & Benefits
Causes intense itching and a pimple-like skin rash (scabies). Risks include secondary skin infections from scratching. There are no ecological benefits as it is a parasitic organism.
Identified on: 1/11/2026