What Do Chiggers Look Like?
Chiggers, although tiny, have some distinctive physical characteristics that set them apart from other mites:
Body Shape: They have a rounded or oval body in the larval stage, with six legs (adult chiggers have eight legs). The body is soft and lacks a hard shell.
Mouthparts: They have piercing-sucking mouthparts called chelicerae, which they use to inject digestive enzymes into the skin of their host. These enzymes break down skin cells, which the chigger then feeds on.
Legs: The larval stage has six legs, while nymphs and adults have eight. Their legs are relatively long compared to their body and are sometimes covered in fine hairs.
Translucent Body: Their body is somewhat see-through, making them hard to spot on skin or clothing.
No Wings or Antennae: Chiggers are wingless and lack antennae, like most mites.
Even with these traits, their minuscule size and tendency to remain on clothing or in grassy areas make them very difficult to see without magnification.
How Big Are Chiggers?
Chiggers are extremely tiny—so small that they are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Adult chiggers are about 0.3 to 0.4 millimeters long, while the larval stage (which is the stage that bites humans) is even smaller, roughly 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters in length. To put that in perspective, they are smaller than a pinhead, and most people only notice them because of the itchy welts their bites cause rather than seeing the mites themselves.
What Color Are Chiggers?
Chiggers are generally red to orange in color, especially in their larval stage, which is the stage that bites humans. Their bodies can appear almost translucent under a microscope, but the reddish-orange hue is usually noticeable if you manage to see them closely. Adults and nymphs are slightly darker and less conspicuous.
Despite their color, their extremely small size (about 0.2–0.4 mm) makes them almost impossible to see with the naked eye, so most people only realize they’ve been exposed after experiencing the characteristic itchy bites.