Litinsects

Litinsects #46: Ticks Month of Mites 2 Today I’m talking about TICKS, which are actually a subset of mites that live an ECTOPARASITIC lifestyle (outside the body) and feed exclusively on blood. Most people think of mammals when they think of tick victims (tick-tims? ) but birds, reptiles, and even amphibians can get ticks too! The group is divided into hard and soft ticks. HARD TICKS have an inflexible plate, or SCUTUM, on their backs and, when viewed from above, you can see their mouthparts. SOFT TICKS don’t have a scutum and their mouthparts are hidden when viewed from above. Hard ticks (the ones you’ll generally encounter) are usually found in fields, vegetated areas, and woodlands, while soft ticks are found in animal dens, burrows, or caves. Ticks possess HALLER’S ORGANS, which are sensory structures located on their first pair of legs that detect body heat, exhaled carbon dioxide, moisture, and vibrations, all of which they use to locate hosts. Ticks will crawl up stems or tall g...