What does a ciliated tick look like? - briefly
A ciliated tick is a small arachnid, typically 2–5 mm long, with a dark, oval body covered in fine, hair‑like setae that give it a fuzzy appearance. The legs and mouthparts are similarly bristly, enhancing its overall velvety texture.
What does a ciliated tick look like? - in detail
A ciliated tick is a small arachnid, typically 2–5 mm in unfed adult length, with a rounded, oval dorsum and a flattened ventral surface that adheres to the host. The dorsal shield (scutum) is hard, often dark brown to black, and may display fine punctate patterns or faint mottling depending on species. Six legs emerge from the anterior region, each ending in a pair of claw-like tarsi equipped with sensory setae.
Key visual characteristics include:
- Cilia: dense, hair‑like structures covering the ventral and lateral margins of the idiosoma; each filament measures 20–80 µm, tapering to a fine tip.
- Sensilla: short, stiff hairs interspersed among the cilia, serving as mechanoreceptors.
- Mouthparts: a capitulum bearing a pair of chelicerae and a hypostome with backward‑pointing barbs, visible as a small protrusion beneath the scutum.
- Leg segmentation: clearly defined coxae, trochanters, femora, patellae, tibiae, and tarsi, each segment bearing microscopic cuticular ridges.
Coloration varies from uniform dark brown to a lighter amber hue on the ventral side, with occasional pale spots near the coxae. The ciliated regions appear slightly iridescent under reflected light due to the fine spacing of the filaments.
When examined under a stereomicroscope at 40–100× magnification, the cilia form a uniform fringe that outlines the tick’s body, giving it a “fuzzy” appearance distinct from smooth‑shelled relatives. This fringe is most pronounced along the lateral edges and the posterior abdomen, where it aids in attachment to the host’s skin.