What does a small black tick look like? - briefly
A tiny black tick looks like a round, flat, dark spot roughly 1–2 mm across, similar to a speck of pepper or a small dot. Its body is smooth, slightly raised, and often shows a clear outline against light skin.
What does a small black tick look like? - in detail
A small black tick is a compact arachnid, typically measuring 2–5 mm in length when unfed. Its body consists of two main sections: the anterior capitulum (mouthparts) and the posterior idiosoma, which is shield‑shaped and often referred to as the scutum. The scutum is smooth, slightly convex, and uniformly dark, lacking any distinct pattern or coloration beyond the deep black hue.
The legs are eight in total, slender, and uniformly pigmented. Each leg ends in tiny claws that enable the tick to grasp host hair or fur. The legs are positioned symmetrically around the body, giving the organism a rounded silhouette when viewed from above.
Key morphological features include:
- Capitulum: Small, protruding, with visible chelicerae and palps; coloration matches the rest of the body.
- Scutum: Hard, smooth, covering most of the dorsal surface; no visible eyes or sensory pits.
- Legs: Eight, thin, equally pigmented, each ending in a pair of claws.
- Mouthparts: Visible beneath the capitulum when the tick is viewed from the ventral side; appear as a tiny, dark opening.
In contrast to engorged individuals, which can expand to several times their unfed size and change color to a reddish‑brown, the unfed specimen retains a consistent, solid black appearance. The lack of markings, the uniform pigmentation, and the compact, oval shape distinguish this stage from other arthropods such as fleas or mites.