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."The chigger Eutrombicula (Trombicula) alfreddugesi isn't picky", Daily Parasite blog, 28 May 2010. They are rarely seen in the dry Western states because the species prefers humid climates."Eutrombicula alfreddugesi", Encyclopædia Britannica online, retrieved 10 August 2011: "occurs from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest and southward to Mexico". 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.
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