Bug FAQScabies Mite
Sarcoptes scabiei · Order: Sarcoptiformes · Family: Sarcoptidae
Also called: Itch Mite, Sarcoptic Mange Mite
Source: Wikipedia
Scabies mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) is a tiny, eyeless mite that lives on human skin worldwide. The impregnated female burrows into the outer skin layer, deposits eggs, and the mite’s activity produces intense itching.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Females measure about 0.3 to 0.45 mm long and 0.25 to 0.35 mm wide; males are roughly half that size.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Infestations are also common in pigs.
Source: Wikipedia
Can it bite, sting or make you sick?
The female’s tunneling and egg-laying cause intense, itchy skin rashes. Mite movement on and within the skin produces an intense itch that can resemble an allergic reaction.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They thrive in areas of frequent skin-to-skin contact, especially the hands and wrists.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The female tunnels into the stratum corneum and deposits eggs, which triggers the characteristic rash. Larvae hatch in 3 to 10 days, move on the skin, molt to nymphs, and mature into adults.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Its life cycle includes four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. An adult female burrows into the outer skin layer and lays two to three eggs each day.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The mite is found in all parts of the world.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Indiana, Missouri, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, California, Maryland, New Jersey.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How big are scabies mites?
Females are about 0.3 to 0.45 mm long and 0.25 to 0.35 mm wide; males are roughly half that size.
Source: Wikipedia
Why does scabies cause such intense itching?
The female burrows into the outer skin layer and lays eggs, and the mites’ movement triggers a strong itch.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcoptes_scabiei
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.