![]() | This taxon may be invalid (unresolved name. May be in
Eutrombicula). |
Trombicula alfreddugesi | |
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Larval harvest mite from North America | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Trombidiformes |
Family: | Trombiculidae |
Genus: | Trombicula |
Species: | T. alfreddugesi
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Binomial name | |
Trombicula alfreddugesi (
Oudemans)
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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.