insects

[felicia]

What are chiggers?

[Rabelais]

Chiggers, in the US, are the larval form of Eutrombicula alfreddug�si also called Trombicula irritans more commonly known as the red spider mite or harvest mite. Contrary to popular opinion, chiggers do not burrow into the skin or feed on blood. Instead, chiggers inject a mixture of digestive enzymes that cause skin cells to rupture, the contents of which are then used as a food source. In the larval stage, chiggers are orange, yellow or light red and are less than 1/150 of an inch in diameter. The tiny larvae easily penetrate clothing. Once on the skin surface, they attach themselves and inject the fluid which causes severe itching. The surrounding tissue hardens, forming a tube. After feeding, the larva drops to the ground and sheds its skin, first becoming a nymph, then an adult (which feed on insect eggs and smaller insects). Contrary to common belief, chiggers do not die after biting a human. In the Caribbean chiggers or chigoes refer to a tropical sand flea, a crustacean, the female of which burrows into the skin.