These chappies belong to the Group
Arachnid...yep..! they're spiders...ish. They in fact belong
to the Order Acarina as also do ticks. In Europe it is only
the itch mite which can be regarded as an important parasite
of man, but other mites may occasionally cause trouble. In
particular the Harvest mite (Trombicula autumnalis) often bites
people in late summer. Mite larva have six legs and moult three
or four times before the adult stage is reached. Some mites
suck blood, while others are responsible for hypersensitive
reactions. We are going to have a brief look at three varieties
starting with the itch mite.
This mite is very seldom seen, lives actually in and on the
skin, with the female burrowing tunnels in the upper horny
layer, particularly on the front of the wrists, the sides and
webs of the fingers, the buttocks, the genitals and the feet.
Different varieties of Sarcoptes scabiei (De Geer) are believed
to be specific for different mammals, including man and a large
variety of domestic and wild animals, but are transferable
from one host to another. The variety specific to man is generally
referred to as the "itch" or "scab" mite,
and acariasis caused by it is sometimes called "scabies." People
are most likely to become infested when living in continually
crowded quarters, such as slums or jails, or during periods
of major calamities that result in prolonged overcrowding.
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