mite /mīt/ [AS] , a minute arachnid with a flat, almost transparent body and four pairs of legs. Many species of these relatives of ticks and spiders are parasitic, including the chigger and Sarcoptes scabiei, which cause localized pruritus and inflammation. Some female mites burrow into the skin and lay eggs that hatch into larvae. The movements of the larvae cause intense itching. See also chigger, scabies.
