What does a feather tick look like? - briefly
A feather tick is a tiny, oval arachnid about 1–3 mm long, reddish‑brown with a smooth, leathery scutum and short, flattened legs that give a feathery impression. Its elongated mouthparts are adapted for piercing the skin of birds.
What does a feather tick look like? - in detail
Feather ticks are small arachnids belonging to the family Argasidae. Adults measure 2–5 mm in length when unfed and expand to 8–10 mm after a blood meal. The body is oval, dorsoventrally flattened, and lacks a hard scutum that characterises hard ticks.
The dorsal surface appears leathery, with a uniform brown to reddish‑brown coloration. Fine, short setae give a slightly fuzzy texture. Four pairs of legs emerge from the ventral side, each leg ending in small claws that aid in clinging to feathers and nest material.
Key visual traits include:
- Absence of a distinct shield on the dorsum; the cuticle is soft and pliable.
- Rounded anterior margin and tapering posterior end.
- Mouthparts located ventrally, with a short, beak‑like hypostome for piercing.
- Slightly raised, darkened eyespots near the anterior margin, visible only under magnification.
Life‑stage variations:
- Larva: translucent, 0.5 mm long, lacking developed legs; only six legs are present.
- Nymph: pale, 1–2 mm, with four pairs of legs but no engorgement capacity.
- Adult: fully pigmented, capable of engorgement, with a noticeable increase in body volume after feeding.
When engorged, the tick’s abdomen becomes distended, taking on a semi‑transparent appearance that reveals the ingested blood. The overall silhouette remains oval, but the increase in girth can double the original size.
These characteristics enable differentiation of feather ticks from other ectoparasites commonly found on avian hosts.