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Also known as: '''''Chigger — Jigger — Chigoe — Sand flea
{{Taxobox
|name = ''Tunga penetrans
|kingdom =
|phylum =
|class = [[Insecta]]
|sub-class =
|order = [[Siphonaptera]]
|super-family =
|family = Hectopsyllidae
|sub-family =
|genus =
|species = ''Tunga penetrans
}}
[[Image:Chigger.jpg|150px|thumb|right|'''Chiggers''' <br> Pearson Scott Foresman 2007, Wikimedia Commons]]
==Hosts==
Humans and Pigs are the primary hosts. '''Reservoir hosts''' include: cattle, sheep, horses, mules, rats, mice, dogs and some wild animals.
==Identification==
''T. penetrans'' is a parasite of the family ''Hectopsyllidae''. The female is around 1mm, and the male is smaller at around 0.5mm in length. The thorax is rather short, and a reddy-brown in colour.
See [[Flea Structure|general flea structure]].
==Life Cycle==
The breeding female burrow into exposed skin on the feet of mammals. They remain there for around 14 days while they develop their eggs. They enter the host using their adapted mouthparts, and the female will feed on the host body fluids.
The skin surrounding the parasite will expand and swell, leaving an opening for eggs to pass, and infect the environment.
The eggs require around 3 days to hatch, and the total life cycle requires about 12 days.
See [[Flea Life Cycle|general flea life cycle]].
{{Learning
|literature search = [http://www.cabdirect.org/search.html?q=title:(%22Tunga+penetrans%22)+ ''Tunga penetrans'' publications]
}}
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[[Category:Fleas]]
[[Category:Fleas]]