redbug n : larval mite that sucks the blood of vertebrates including human beings causing intense irritation [syn: harvest mite, chigger, jigger]

English

Noun

1. A particular kind of insect, a member of the family Pyrrhocoridae.
   • 1960, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, chapter 13,

     Atticus paused, watching me locate an elusive redbug on my leg.

     "Gentle breeding," he continued, when I had found and scratched it,....

for the "Red Bug" car see Smith Flyer

Pyrrhocoridae is a family of insects with more than 300 species world-wide. A common species in parts of Europe is the firebug. They are part of the order Hemiptera which are also known as the 'true bugs'. A few are important crop pests. They are called cotton stainers because their red bodies get crushed along with the cotton they eat when it is harvested, and these stains are difficult to remove. Their feeding mechanism also cuts the fibres and hence affects the growth of the cotton ball. They caused massive problems in the United States during the industrial revolution.