What does the cattle tick look like? - briefly
The cattle tick is a small, oval arachnid about 3–5 mm long when unfed, featuring a reddish‑brown dorsal shield (scutum) and eight legs. After feeding it expands to roughly 10 mm, becoming a soft, pale‑gray, balloon‑shaped body.
What does the cattle tick look like? - in detail
The cattle tick, scientifically known as Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, is a hard‑backed arachnid that parasitizes bovines and other large mammals. Adult females measure 4–6 mm in length and 5–7 mm in width when unfed; after a blood meal they can swell to roughly 12 mm, adopting a markedly rounded silhouette. Males are smaller, typically 3–5 mm long, with a flatter, more oval shape.
The dorsal shield (scutum) displays a uniform dark brown to reddish‑brown hue, contrasting with a lighter, almost tan ventral surface. Legs are pale, often appearing yellowish‑white. The tick’s body is divided into a short anterior capitulum housing the chelicerae and a broader posterior idiosoma. The capitulum is ventrally positioned and lacks visible eyes. Posteriorly, a series of shallow indentations—festoons—encircle the margin, a characteristic feature of ixodid ticks.
When engorged, the abdomen expands dramatically, taking on a pale gray‑white coloration that reveals the ingested blood beneath the cuticle. The expansion makes the tick appear balloon‑shaped, with the scutum remaining relatively unchanged in size.
Key visual identifiers:
- Rectangular basis capituli with distinct lateral margins.
- Absence of eyes on the dorsal surface.
- Presence of festoons (four to six) along the posterior edge.
- Spurred coxae on the first pair of legs, visible as small, pointed projections.
- Uniform dark brown scutum in unfed specimens; pale, stretched abdomen in engorged females.
These characteristics differentiate the cattle tick from other ixodid species, such as the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), which exhibits a white‑filled dorsal pattern, and the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), which has a more rounded scutum and lacks the distinct rectangular basis capituli.