Tick

Tall grass, brush, wooded areas, and on host animals such as mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles

Hematophagous; they feed exclusively on the blood of vertebrate hosts

They exhibit 'questing' behavior by climbing to the tips of vegetation and waiting for a host to pass. They have a multi-stage life cycle: egg, larva, nymph, and adult.

High risk to humans and pets as vectors for serious diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Anaplasmosis; they provide little ecosystem benefit beyond serving as a food source for some birds and reptiles.