Bug Identifier
Tick
Community identification

Tick

Unidentified tick (likely a hard tick; family Ixodidae)

Order & Family
Ixodida; Ixodidae
Size
About 1–5 mm unfed; engorged ticks can grow much larger.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Ticks live in vegetation, leaf litter, and animal nests; they may enter homes on people or pets.

Diet & Feeding

A blood-feeding parasite of mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, depending on species.

Behavior Patterns

Ticks wait on vegetation for a host, attach and feed, then usually drop off to molt or lay eggs.

Risks & Benefits

Some species transmit diseases to people and animals. The image is not clear enough to identify the species or assess disease risk.