What does a very small tick look like? - briefly
A tiny tick is a minute, reddish‑brown, oval parasite, usually under 1 mm long, with a smooth, glossy dorsal surface and barely discernible legs. Its body remains flat and unexpanded, lacking the swollen appearance seen after feeding.
What does a very small tick look like? - in detail
A minute tick measures roughly 1 mm in length when unfed, expanding to 2–3 mm after a blood meal. Its body consists of two main sections: the anterior capitulum and the posterior idiosoma. The capitulum houses the mouthparts, which appear as a small, protruding cone formed by the chelicerae and hypostome; the hypostome bears backward‑pointing barbs that anchor the parasite to the host’s skin. The idiosoma is oval, smooth, and lightly sclerotized, giving a pale tan or reddish‑brown hue that may fade with dehydration.
Key visual traits include:
- Four legs, each about 0.2 mm long, attached near the anterior margin of the idiosoma; legs are slender, pale, and often difficult to discern without magnification.
- Absence of visible eyes; the dorsal surface lacks distinct markings, appearing uniformly colored.
- A short, blunt rear shield (the anal groove) that does not extend beyond the body’s edge.
- When engorged, the abdomen swells dramatically, assuming a rounded, balloon‑like shape while retaining the same overall coloration.
Under a dissecting microscope, the tick’s dorsal shield (scutum) is either absent or reduced to a tiny, indistinct patch, differentiating it from larger species that possess a prominent, patterned scutum. The ventral side reveals a pair of spiracular plates near the posterior, each bearing a minute opening for respiration.
Overall, a tiny tick presents as a barely visible, uniformly colored arachnid with a compact, oval body, short legs, and a concealed feeding apparatus, requiring magnification for reliable identification.