Harvest mite

Harvest mite (Trombicula autumnalis). This 1 to 2 mm mite lives on insects and insect eggs. The mites look like little red spiders.
In August, the mite lays eggs in warm weather from which minime larvae (+ 0.25 mm) emerge around harvest time. These larvae require one meal of half-decomposed cellular fluid or cellular tissue of vertebrates for growth. So these larvae bite cows, chickens, goats, birds and people, among others. Once hatched, the larvae lurk in the grass to strike when a suitable animal passes. In humans, the larvae crawl on the ankles and feet, then move to more comfortable places such as armpits, hollows of the knees, on the skin under the waistband, etc. They bite down and stay put until they fill up after a few days. The bite of the larva is not felt but the bumps that appear after a few hours, however, itch all the more. Once full, the larvae drop and further develop into adult mites.