Tick

Wooded areas, tall grass, shrubs, sometimes indoors on pets or people

Blood of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians (ectoparasites)

Questing (climbing vegetation and waiting for hosts); attach to hosts for blood meals; undergo several life stages (larva, nymph, adult), each requiring a blood meal.

Risks: Can transmit various diseases to humans and animals (e.g., Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, babesiosis). Benefits: No significant known benefits to humans or ecosystems, primarily considered pests.