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Trombicula alfreddugesi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trombicula alfreddugesi
Larval harvest mite from North America
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Trombidiformes
Family: Trombiculidae
Genus: Trombicula
Species:
T. alfreddugesi
Binomial name
Trombicula alfreddugesi

Trombicula alfreddugesi, also called Eutrombicula alfreddugesi, is a species in the genus Trombicula. (Eutrombicula is a subgenus of mites in 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] They are rarely seen in the dry Western states because the species prefers humid climates.[3] They are commonly found in undergrowth 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.

References

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  1. ^ "Eutrombicula", Medical Dictionary, Free Dictionary.com.
  2. ^ "The chigger Eutrombicula (Trombicula) alfreddugesi isn't picky", Daily Parasite blog, 28 May 2010.
  3. ^ "Eutrombicula alfreddugesi", Encyclopædia Britannica online, retrieved 10 August 2011: "occurs from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest and southward to Mexico".