Trombiculidae ( (also called berry bugs, harvest mites, red bugs, scrub-itch mites and aoutas) are a family of
mites. The best known of the Trombiculidae are the
chiggers. The two widely recognized definitions of "chigger" are the scientific (or
taxonomic) definition and the common definitions found in English and medical dictionaries. According to most dictionaries, the several species of Trombiculidae that bite their host in their
larval stage and cause "intense
irritation" or "a
wheal, usually with severe itching and
dermatitis," are called chiggers. The scientific definition seemingly includes many more, but not all species of Trombiculidae.