Correlation of Habitat, Environment and Color of Chiggers, and Their Potential Significance in the Epidemiology of Scrub Typhus in Malaya (Prostigmata: Trombiculidae)1

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Abstract
Mites of the family Trombiculidae are parasitic only in the larval stage. The post-larval stages, i.e., the nymph and adult, are non-parasitic. Only certain species transmit the agent of scrub typhus to man. From the viewpoint of epidemiology the critical phase in the life history of a trombiculid mite is the unfed state of the larva, prior to attachment to a host, which could be either a bird, reptile, or mammal, including man. Inasmuch as trombiculid mites to a great extent are habitat-specific, knowledge of the resting places of the unfed larvae contributes towards a better understanding of the biotope of the various species of chiggers. On the basis of (a) the color of the unfed larval mite; (b) association of the mite with habitat; and (c) its association with favored hosts, the 146 species of Malayan chiggers are separated into 7 ecological groups. Those which affect man, and other species that have better opportunities of coming in contact with him, occur in Group I. These species are ground-surface dwellers and occur on a broad range of birds and mammals. All the 25 species in this group are pale orange to red. The remaining species, which have a limited host range, occur in 6 other ecological groups. Almost 60% of the Malayan species (Group II) are either known to be ground-hole dwellers or are believed to be so. These are white to yellow. Ecological Groups III to VII essentially show closer relationship With their hosts, perhaps because of concurrent habitat-specificity of host and parasite. It is postulated that Groups II to VII have less or no opportunities of coming in contact with man and some explanation is given for this.

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