Red mites (Dermanyssus gallinae)

Japanese: ワクモ(鶏蜱) - ワクモ（英語表記）Dermanyssus gallinae

A mite of the Mite family. In addition to parasitizing chickens and wild birds, it also attacks humans violently, causing itchy dermatitis. It is distributed widely around the world, and can be found throughout Japan. Its body length is about 0.7 mm, and it is grayish-white or brown when it has not yet fed on blood, but after it has fed on blood it grows to over 1 mm and turns from reddish-brown to black. The eggs laid by the female (about 10 per day) hatch in 2-3 days, and after about 5 days they become juvenile mites, and then the first and second nymph mites, and then become adult mites. They feed on blood at all times except the egg and juvenile stages. They feed on blood at night, and during the day they hide in gaps in the walls of chicken coops and in wild bird nests.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

ワクモ科のダニ。ニワトリや野鳥に寄生するほか，ヒトを激しく襲ってかゆみを伴った皮膚炎を起こす。世界に広く分布し，日本でも全国的に見られる。体長は0.7mmほどで未吸血時は灰白色ないし褐色であるが，吸血後は1mm以上にもなり，赤褐色から黒色に変ずる。雌によって1日10個ほど産卵された卵は2～3日で孵化（ふか）し，5日間ほどで幼ダニ，第1,2若ダニを経て親ダニとなる。卵と幼ダニ期以外は吸血する。吸血は夜間に行われ，昼間は鶏舎の壁などの隙間や，野鳥の巣内に潜む。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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