How does the scabies mite reproduce? - briefly
The female scabies mite burrows into the skin, lays up to three eggs per day within the tunnel, and seals them with a thin layer of keratin; the eggs hatch in 3–4 days into larvae that migrate to the skin surface, mature, and mate. Mating occurs on the host, after which fertilized females start new burrows, continuing the cycle.
How does the scabies mite reproduce? - in detail
The scabies mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) reproduces through a strictly parasitic life cycle that occurs entirely on the host’s skin. A fertilized female burrows into the stratum corneum, creating a tunnel roughly 0.2–0.4 mm long. Within this tunnel she lays 1–2 eggs each day for a period of 3–4 weeks. The eggs hatch in 3–4 days, releasing legless larvae that remain on the skin surface.
Larvae undergo three successive molts. The first molt, after 2–3 days, transforms the larva into a nymphal stage. A second molt, occurring 2–3 days later, yields a second‑instar nymph. A final molt, after an additional 2–3 days, produces an adult mite. Maturation from egg to adult requires approximately 10–14 days under optimal temperature (25–28 °C) and humidity conditions.
Adult mites emerge from the burrow and remain on the epidermis. Mating takes place on the skin surface; males locate females by chemical cues and copulate within minutes. After fertilization, the female returns to her tunnel to continue egg deposition. Males die shortly after mating, whereas fertilized females survive for 4–6 weeks, sustaining the infestation.
The entire reproductive output of a single female can exceed 30 eggs, generating a geometric increase in mite numbers if untreated. This rapid population expansion underlies the intense pruritus and skin lesions characteristic of scabies infestations.