Black-legged tick

Wooded and brushy areas with leaf litter, where it waits on vegetation or seeks hosts; this individual appears to be in a terrarium.

Blood-feeding parasite of mammals, birds, and reptiles; each active life stage typically takes one blood meal.

Attaches to a passing host and feeds for several days. Its dark body and pale marking are consistent with a female black-legged tick, but the image is not clear enough for certain identification.

Can transmit Lyme disease and other infections. It has little direct ecological benefit beyond serving as prey for some animals.