Dog tick or similar hard tick

Grassy fields, wooded areas, shrubs, and yards where they wait for hosts to pass by.

Blood from mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

Questing on vegetation to latch onto passing hosts, feeding slowly over several days until fully engorged.

Risks include transmitting serious vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tick paralysis. No major ecological benefits to humans.