Hard Tick (Larva or Nymph stage)

Tall grass, leaf litter, and wooded areas where hosts are present

Blood of mammals, birds, or reptiles (obligate hematophagy)

Quests by climbing to the tips of vegetation and waiting for a host to pass by; undergoes complex life cycle of larva, nymph, and adult.

Significant health risk as vectors for diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis; no known benefits to humans or ecosystems.