harvest-mite

A farmer notices a harvest-mite on his arm after working in the field.

Definition

Noun: A harvest-mite is a small, parasitic arachnid belonging to the family Trombiculidae, also known as a chigger. It is the larval stage of certain mites that attaches to the skin of humans or animals, feeding on tissue fluids and causing intense itching and irritation, especially during harvest season.

Usage Examples

Advanced Usage

• "Harvest-mite infestation": a condition where many harvest-mite larvae attach to the skin, causing dermatitis.
  • The hikers suffered from a severe harvest-mite infestation after walking through tall grass.

Variants and Related Words

• Harvest bug (n): an alternative name for the harvest-mite, especially in British English.
  • The harvest bug is most active in late summer and early autumn.
• Chigger (n): a common North American term for the harvest-mite larva.
  • Chiggers are tiny red mites that burrow into the skin.

Synonyms

• Chigger: the larval stage of a harvest-mite.
• Red bug: a colloquial term for the harvest-mite due to its reddish color.
• Jigger: a regional term, sometimes confused with the chigger.

Related Idioms

• "To be bitten by the harvest-mite": an informal expression meaning to become obsessed or intensely focused on something, derived from the persistent itching caused by the mite.
  • After his first success, he was bitten by the harvest-mite of entrepreneurship and started several businesses.