Hard tick
| Ixodidae | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Ixodes ricinus (engorged) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Subclass: | Acari |
| Superorder: | Parasitiformes |
| Order: | Metastigmata = Ixodida |
| Family: |
Ixodidae C. L. Koch, 1844 |
The Ixodidae are the family of hard ticks, one of the two big families of ticks, consisting of over 700 species. They are known as 'hard ticks' because they have a scutum or hard shield, which the other big family of ticks, the soft ticks (Argasidae), lack. They are ectoparasites of a wide range of host species, and some are vectors of disease.
They are distinguished from the soft ticks (Argasidae) by the presence of a scutum. In both the nymph and the adult, a prominent gnathosoma (or capitulum, mouth and feeding parts) projects forwards from the animal's body; in the Argasidae, conversely, the gnathosoma is concealed beneath the body.
They differ too, in their life cycle; Ixodidae that attach to a host will bite painlessly and generally unnoticed, and they remain in place until they engorge and are ready to change their skin; this process may take days or weeks. Some species drop off the host to moult in a safe place, whereas others remain on the same host and only drop off once they are ready to lay their eggs.
Of the 702 species in 14 genera, some are of considerable economic importance as vectors of diseases caused by bacteria such as Rickettsia and Borrelia.
The family contains these genera:
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Wikipedia