DENVER, CO - The American Association of Entomologists has adopted the term 'fire mites' for Trombicula alfreddugesi, a small, parasitic arachnid barely visible to the naked eye. The pests, formerly known as 'chiggers', have tormented
outdoor enthusiasts with itchy welts for centuries. Recently, however, the creature's former name had come under scrutiny as being offensive to some ethnic groups.
"We recently buried a word almost identical to that one." said Isaiah Herman, Executive Director of the National African-American Coalition of People. "We applaud the AAE for taking steps to keep that word dead."
The measure sparked a lively debate among the entomologists. "Obviously we couldn't leave the name as it was." said Phillip Hoffner, Professor of Analytical Entomology at Howyflyl University, and boardmember of the AAE. "Settling on a new name and how to eradicate the former name was the problem."
The other common nickname for fire mites, 'redbugs' was quickly dismissed as possibly offensive to Native-Americans. Names referencing Spanish moss - a notorious fire mite habitat - were also rejected over concerns raised by Latino entomologists. 'Chigroes', a variation of the former name, received
little support from anybody. 'Fire mite' eventually passed by a vote of 63-1.
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