Eutrombicula alfreddugesi

Eutrombicula alfreddugesi
Larval harvest mite from North America
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Trombidiformes
Family: Trombiculidae
Genus: Eutrombicula
Species:
E. alfreddugesi
Binomial name
Eutrombicula alfreddugesi
(Oudemans, 1910)
Synonyms
  • Trombicula alfreddugesi (Oudemans, 1910)

Eutrombicula alfreddugesi is a species in the genus Eutrombicula.

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. They are rarely seen in the dry Western states because the species prefers humid climates. 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.