What does a tick without a body look like? - briefly
A tick that has lost its abdomen appears as a small, flattened disc composed only of the mouthparts and attached legs, typically brown or reddish in color. The remaining structure is markedly reduced, lacking the engorged, rounded body seen in a fed specimen.
What does a tick without a body look like? - in detail
A tick that has lost its idiosoma presents only the capitulum, the anterior feeding apparatus. The visible structure is small, typically 0.2–0.5 mm in length, and resembles a dark, compact cone. The capitulum consists of:
- Two palps, each bearing four segments, appearing as slender, slightly curved extensions.
- A pair of chelicerae, needle‑like, positioned ventrally beneath the palps.
- The hypostome, a barbed tube that inserts into host tissue, forming the central, most pronounced element.
The surface of the remaining part is sclerotized, giving a glossy, brown to black coloration. No dorsal shield or legs are observable, as those belong to the idiosoma. Under a stereomicroscope the capitulum shows fine setae along the palps and a series of tiny pores near the base of the chelicerae, which serve as openings for saliva secretion.
In the absence of the main body, the tick’s silhouette is reduced to a compact, triangular head‑like unit, lacking the broader, oval outline that characterizes a fully formed specimen. The overall appearance is that of a tiny, hardened mouthpiece, distinct from the larger, segmented body that typically houses the legs and reproductive organs.