The chigoe flea is properly classified as a member of the order Siphonaptera as it is a flea. Although commonly referred to as chiggers, true chiggers are mites, which are minute arachnids. Mites penetrate the skin and feed on skin cells that are broken down by an enzyme they secrete from their mouthparts, but they do not lay eggs in the host as "T. penetrans" does. Moreover, in mites, the adult and the larval forms both feed on other animals. This is not the case with "T. penetrans", as only the adults feed on mammals and it is only the female that stays attached to the host.