Neotrombicula autumnalis
| Neotrombicula autumnalis | |
|---|---|
| File:Aoûtat.jpg | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Trombidiformes |
| Family: | Trombiculidae |
| Genus: | Neotrombicula |
| Species: | N. autumnalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Neotrombicula autumnalis (Shaw, 1790)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Neotrombicula autumnalis, known as the harvest mite or autumn chigger, is a species of mite of the family Trombiculidae. Their larvae live parasitically; they infect all domestic mammals, humans, and some ground-nesting birds.[2]
Description
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The larvae are normally orange or red with six legs, but develop eight legs by nymph stage. The larvae are up to 0.2 mm (0.01 in) in size, with adult mites about 1 mm (0.04 in) long.
Habitat and distribution
[edit | edit source]This mite is most frequently found in small rodents and dogs,[3] though mice and moles have also been shown to carry the mite.[4]
Life cycle
[edit | edit source]The eggs are laid in damp soil. After hatching, the larvae climb blades of grass and wait for a potential host.[2] With their "blade-like chelicerae",[2] they attach themselves to the hosts and feed on their tissues. After sucking, which lasts several days,[2] they fall off and develop over three stages of nymph to adult mites.
References
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Lua error in Module:Taxonbar at line 165: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). 3. Gilbert White The Natural History of Selbourne (JM Dent & Sons Ltd, 1906) described in letter dated 30 March 1771