Are The Biting Mites Plaguing The Heartland A New Invasive Species?

Midwesterners are complaining about biting mites that leave itchy splotches, according to the Chicago Tribune. Scientists have not yet been able to identify the culprit, although they have been setting out traps.

It is believed to most likely be an invasive species new to the area, probably brought by human activities such as shipping or transportation. The region has already been beset by the Asian tiger mosquito and the Asian ladybird beetle, not to mention zebra mussels, West Nile Virus and a raft of other nonnative plants, animals and microbes. The issue of invasive species is far more important than just some annoying bug bites.

Nonnative gypsy moths, wooly adelgid, bark beetles, Dutch elm disease and chestnut blight have been devastating forests for decades. Invasive species can carry potentially lethal diseases, out compete native plants and animals to the point of extinction, ravage food crops and unravel the fragile fabric of ecosystems. Some people have argued that we shouldn't worry too much about invasives, as species have always been blown across the globe.

That's true to an extent, but the process has been greatly accelerated by human activity. In a world that is already under enormous assault from our species, invasives can lead to tipping points that push natural communities over the edge.

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