钩恙螨属

钩恙螨属（学名：Leptotrombidium；(/ˌlɛptoʊtrɒmˈbɪdiəm/），又名纤恙螨属，是蛛形纲蜱螨亚纲螨形总目恙螨目恙螨总科恙螨科之下的一个属，可透过叮咬人类而令人类感染恙虫东方体（O. tsutsugamushi）而患上恙虫病（亦作丛林斑疹伤寒）。钩恙螨属的幼虫主要宿主是啮齿类，但有时也能寄生于人类或其他大型哺乳类动物中。过往曾以为啮齿类动物是恙虫东方体的宿主，而恙螨只是感染的载体，但现时我们知道恙螨一生只会进食一次，这使病原从啮齿类动物传播至人类这种假设不可能，因为恙螨要达成载体的话，需要先后啮咬鼠只取得病原、然后再啮咬人类以将病原传给人类。所以病菌只可能一开始就已在恙螨的体内，透过产卵（英语：transovarial transmission）的过程从母体传染给螨的虫卵。所以钩恙螨属物种同时是Leptotrombidium mites are therefore both vector and reservoir for O. tsutsugamushi. The infection predominantly affects female mites, and does not appear to otherwise harm the mites.The larva is pale orange in colour and feeds on liquified skin tissue, not blood, as their mouth parts (chelicerae) are too short to reach the blood vessels. They have 3 pairs of legs. The larvae most commonly target rodents, but will also attach to humans. For humans, the bite is painless, but pain commonly develops only after the larva detaches from the skin, leaving a red papule that may then develop into an eschar. The larval stage lasts for 1 to 2 weeks. After feeding, the larvae drop to the ground and become nymphs. Nymph is brick-red in colour and has 4 pairs of legs. Nymphal stage lasts for 1 to 3 weeks. Nymphs mature into adults which have 4 pairs of legs, first pair being the largest. They are harmless to humans. In the post larval stage, they are not parasitic and feed on plant materials.雌虫每次产卵只产一枚，约需一星期孵化。成虫寿命约六个月。以下详列本属物种：