Ask an Expert – Sydney University’s excellent source of information.

Recently I found myself being bitten by small insects. These bites resulted in significant inflammation and irritation.

I grabbed one of our digital microscopes (TLI mTech 5 MP) and captured several images of the culprit. Being a physicist, not an entomologist, I had no idea what insect was attacking me. I could go to Google and search millions of insect photos in the hope that I would find a match, or I could Find an Expert, that is, use University of Sydney’s great service for the public and particularly teachers and students.

Within 24 hours I had my answer courtesy of Prof Richard C.
Russell. His response -

Definitely larval ticks in the second and third image.
Grass ticks , so-called, are generally the larval stage of Ixodes species ticks (e.g. Ixodes holocyclus) in coastal NSW. Female ticks lay many hundreds/thousands of eggs at a time, and the hatching larvae do not move far from the eggs site (usually in grassy/brush habitats with high humidity), and so it is not unusual for a person to encounter many larvae attaching at a time. Unless removed, they will normally stay on for a few days to feed (causing irritation and perhaps a rash) then drop off. There are generally no longer term problems, although in sensitive individuals the associated itching may persist for some time, and there may be some hardening of the skin at the bite site (which will resolve in due course).