Chigger (also known as Berry Bug or Harvest Mite larva)

Tall grass, woodlands, low-lying damp areas, and brushy vegetation.

Larvae feed on skin cells and liquefied tissue of host animals; adults feed on insect eggs and small arthropods in the soil.

Larvae wait on vegetation for a host to pass by. They do not burrow into skin; instead, they inject digestive enzymes that break down skin cells to form a straw-like tube called a stylostome to feed. After several days, they drop off to transform into nymphs.

Risks: Causes intense itching and red, pimple-like bumps. While they don't typically transmit diseases in North America, in some parts of Asia, they can transmit scrub typhus. Benefits: Adults help control other small pest populations in the ecosystem.