What does a striped tick look like? - briefly
A striped tick displays a dark body overlaid with alternating light and dark longitudinal bands on its dorsal scutum, creating a clear striped pattern. These bands are most evident on the hard shell of the tick.
What does a striped tick look like? - in detail
The striped tick presents a small, oval‑shaped body measuring approximately 2–5 mm when unfed. The dorsal surface is dominated by a light‑colored scutum crossed by one or more dark, longitudinal stripes that extend from the anterior margin toward the posterior edge. These stripes vary in thickness, often appearing as broad, parallel bands that may merge near the midline.
Key visual characteristics include:
- A distinct, raised capitulum (mouthparts) at the anterior end, typically darker than the surrounding cuticle.
- Legs composed of eight segments, each bearing fine, pale hairs; the leg bases often display faint banding that accentuates the striped pattern.
- A smooth, semi‑transparent integument allowing the underlying internal organs to be partially visible, especially in engorged specimens.
- In females, the scutum covers only a portion of the dorsal surface, leaving the abdomen expandable; during feeding, the abdomen swells dramatically, and the stripe pattern may become obscured by the blood‑filled expansion.
- Males retain a fully covered scutum, preserving the stripe visibility even when engorged, though the overall size remains smaller than that of females.
When fully engorged, the tick can increase to 10–12 mm in length, the body becoming markedly convex and the dorsal coloration turning reddish‑brown, while the original stripe markings become faint but still discernible along the edges of the scutum. The ventral side remains lighter, with a pale, almost white hue that contrasts with the darker dorsal pattern.
These morphological details enable reliable identification of the striped tick in field observations and laboratory examinations.