Hard tick (Engorged Larva or Nymph)

Wooded areas, tall grass, and brushy fields; often found on small mammals, birds, or humans.

Hematophagous (blood-feeding); they consume many times their body weight in blood from a host.

Three-host life cycle consisting of egg, larva, nymph, and adult. They 'quest' by waiting on vegetation to latch onto passing hosts.

Significant risk to humans and animals as vectors for diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. No known ecological benefits to humans.