What does a live tick look like? - briefly
A live tick is a small, oval arachnid roughly 2–5 mm in length, featuring a reddish‑brown, leathery exoskeleton and six visible legs before feeding. After a blood meal it expands dramatically, becoming rounder, larger—often the size of a grape—and noticeably paler.
What does a live tick look like? - in detail
A living tick is a small arachnid measuring 2–5 mm in length when unfed. Its body consists of two main sections: the anterior capitulum (mouthparts) and the posterior idiosoma (main body). The capitulum houses the chelicerae, palps, and a ventrally positioned hypostome, which appears as a short, bar‑shaped structure used for attachment.
The idiosoma is covered by a hard dorsal shield called the scutum in adult females; males possess a smaller, movable scutum that does not cover the entire back. The scutum is typically brown to reddish‑brown, sometimes with lighter patches. The ventral side is softer and lighter in color, often pale yellow or gray.
Four pairs of legs extend from the idiosoma, each ending in clawed tips. Legs are dark brown or black, slender, and visible as short, jointed appendages. The eyes are absent; vision is limited to light perception through simple photoreceptors.
In the unfed state, ticks appear flat and oval. After a blood meal, they expand dramatically, becoming spherical and increasing in size up to 10 mm or more. Engorged females turn a deep, glossy red or brown, while engorged males remain flatter and retain a lighter hue.
Life‑stage differences:
- Larva: Six legs, translucent to pale yellow, 0.5–1 mm long.
- Nymph: Eight legs, reddish‑brown, 1.5–2 mm, still without a full scutum.
- Adult female: Larger, engorged up to 12 mm, prominent scutum, dark brown to black dorsal surface.
- Adult male: Smaller, 2–3 mm, partially covered scutum, darker legs.
These physical traits enable identification of a tick’s species, developmental stage, and feeding status.