What types of mites are there, description of varieties

Mites are small, often microscopic in size, varied in external structure, representatives of the class of arachnids (Arachnida). They are of great importance for humans, whether they are parasitic forms on animals and humans, or plant pests. In this article you will learn about the types of ticks and measures to combat them.

Types of ticks photo

The varieties of ticks are as follows: - a number of harvesters - a number of parasitoids - a number of acariformes First of all, we are interested in parasitoid mites, they are the ones that parasitize people and animals, transmitting terrible diseases.

Gamasoidea mites

Gamasid mite

Gamasid mites are 0.3-0.4 mm in size, light brown in color. These are parasites of reptiles and birds; only some subspecies of this family parasitize mammals. Gamasid mites do not parasitize humans, but in isolated cases they can be bitten. Gamasid mites do not cause dermatitis and other diseases, but they transmit piroplasmosis and tularemia, parasitizing rodents.

Types of ticks

The diversity of ticks is very large; they have colonized all continents and climatic zones. Different types of ticks lead different lifestyles. Among mites there are predators, saprophytes, plant pests, parasites of humans and animals.

People and animals are attacked by ticks belonging to the following families: Gamasoidea (gamasid ticks), Trombidiidae (red ticks), Argasidae (argas ticks), Ixodidae (ixodid ticks). The families Argasidae and Ixodidae are combined into the superfamily Ixodoidea. Most parasitic ticks effectively transmit pathogens of infectious diseases in humans and animals. The range of diseases transmitted depends on the area and type of tick. Different types of ticks have their own biological characteristics, which must be taken into account when developing protection tactics. There are highly specialized species of ticks that have switched to feeding on one type of animal. Some ticks never attack humans, others only when there is no main host, and for some types of ticks humans are the usual victim.

In Russia, ticks of the family Ixodidae are of greatest importance as carriers of infectious diseases.

Ixodid ticks (family Ixodidae)

The family is represented by genera (Ixodes, Amblyomma, Anomalohimalaya, Bothriocroton, Cosmiomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Margaropus, Nosomma, Rhipicentor and Rhipicephalus). The genus ixodes is the most numerous - it includes 241 species. Different types of ticks live in different regions. Different ticks carry different diseases. Representatives of the genera (Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Dermacentor, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus) are found in Russia.

The genus Ixodes includes the main carriers of tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis - the taiga tick and the dog tick. (People call them encephalitis ticks). People in the temperate zone of Eurasia are most often bitten by these ticks. The taiga tick is common in Siberia, the dog tick in Europe. A typical biotope for ticks Ix. persulcatus is primarily found in moist, shaded forest areas. In the eastern regions of the European part of Russia, both types of ticks are found.I. persulcatus, whose distribution covers the territory from the Baltic States to the Far East.

Representatives of the genus Hyalomma, living in the southern regions of Russia, are carriers of a dangerous disease - Crimean hemorrhagic fever. The most common is Hyalomma marginatum. This is a two-host tick - the development of the larva into a nymph and the nymph into an adult tick occurs on one host. An adult tick is looking for a new victim. In addition to the steppe regions of the European south of Russia, ticks of the species Hyalomma marginatum are found in Crimea, Bulgaria, and the Mediterranean coast. Ticks of the genus Hyalomma are characterized by increased resistance to acaricides. In European outbreaks, the main role in transmission of the virus belongs to H.marginatum ticks. Ticks of the species H.anatolicum, H. asiaticum, H.turanicum and H.detritum are carriers of Crimean hemorrhagic fever in Asian countries - Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia...

Species of ticks from the genus Dermacentor carry pathogens of tick-borne encephalitis, Omsk hemorrhagic fever, tularemia, tick-borne North Asian rickettsiosis (tick-borne North Asian typhus), Q-fever. They are also an important vector of canine piroplasmosis. The feeders of young forms of ticks of the genus Dermacentor are small rodents (mice, voles). Therefore, the number of these mites is directly related to the number of mouse-like rodents.

These mites are easily identified by the white pattern on their dorsal shield. They also differ in the way they eat. The tick makes several test punctures before it begins to suck blood.

Dermacentor reticulatus (meadow tick) is a typical inhabitant of deciduous and mixed forests in Europe and Siberia. It is not found in tall forests devoid of herbaceous vegetation. Prefers open spaces - forest glades, forest edges, meadows, pastures, can tolerate flooding, lives in flooded meadows, can be found on lawns. In areas of livestock grazing, foci of mass reproduction of the Dermacentor reticulatus tick are created. It has high cold resistance. The activity of meadow ticks begins earlier than that of taiga ticks. When thawed patches appear, bites from Dermacentor reticulatus ticks are possible. The greatest activity of meadow ticks is in April - May. In autumn there is a second, smaller peak of activity. Meadow ticks stop activity completely when snow falls.

In addition to Dermacentor reticulatus, the following types of ticks are found in Russia:

• Dermacentor marginatus (pasture tick) is found in the steppes and forest-steppes of the European part of Russia, Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, in the mountains of Central Asia, in the south of Western Siberia, in flat and mountain steppes, in forest-steppe, in mountain forests (on pastures), ravines, floodplain meadows , forest belts.
• Dermacentor nuttali - lives in the steppes of Siberia. Nymphs of D. nuttali can also attack humans.
• Dermacentor silvarum is found in the forest-steppe zone of Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

Ticks of the Haemaphysalis family are heat- and moisture-loving. The tick Haemaphysalis concinna has a fragmented range. Lives in Crimea, Transcaucasia and the Far East. You can find Haemaphysalis concinna in Altai, in the south of Western Siberia, in Transbaikalia. They prefer birch-larch, broad-leaved, coniferous-broad-leaved, birch and aspen forests. Adult ticks are capable of attacking people. These ticks are active in the summer. This species is involved in the transmission of tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne rickettsiosis.

Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick) is a worldwide parasite. This is a small brown tick, without a pattern. Lives in humid coastal areas. In Russia, ticks Rhipicephalus sanguineus are distributed along the Black Sea coast. It is a carrier of canine piroplasmosis. Through the bite of Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the causative agent of Marseille fever is transmitted. In Russia, cases of Marseilles fever are found on the Black Sea coast. Rhipicephalus sanguineus can feed on a variety of mammals, but the main host for all stages is the dog. It rarely attacks people, but in the absence of dogs it can also attack people. After drinking blood, the tick leaves the dog for a while.

The brown dog tick is able to complete its life cycle indoors. And therefore it can explore any corner of the globe. Can breed in the home or in a dog kennel. It is enough to introduce a few ticks and soon a whole colony will appear. The female, having sucked blood, lays thousands of eggs in the crevices of the doghouse, cracks in the walls, and then dies.

After a few weeks, the larvae hatch. The larvae feed and, after molting, turn into nymphs. The nymphs feed again, molt, and develop into adult ticks. Under favorable circumstances, the transformation of an egg into an adult tick occurs within two months.

Boophilus (subgenus included in Rhipicephalus). Boophilus calcaratus is an example of a single-host tick. The larva falls on the animal and then leaves it only to lay eggs. There is no change of owner.

In addition to ticks from the ixodidae family, people and animals are attacked by ticks belonging to the following families:

• Argasid mites
• Gamasid mites
• Red mites are widespread and only their larvae attack people. Which are almost invisible due to their small size. In this case, the bites appear as an unpleasant itchy rash.

The order of mites also includes the causative agents of scabies and demodicosis.

Argasid mites–Argasidae

Argas mite

Argas mites range in size from 3 to 30 mm. The body is flat, oval, reddish-brown. Argasid mites parasitize warm-blooded animals: humans, domestic animals, poultry, etc. After their bite, redness and itching appear on the body. Argasid mites have toxic saliva that can cause tick paralysis. They also carry plague, fever, piroplasmosis, arbovirus infections and tick-borne relapsing fever.

Choriptoid mites

Causes another type of scabies in animals. The parasites are specific and this time they really differ from each other even morphologically. Although the differences are very small: at the level of hair length. Choriptoid ticks parasitize the following animals:

• horses;
• cows;
• sheep;
• goats;
• rabbits.

On a note!

The habitats of parasites differ depending on the animal. In horses and cows, chorioptosis begins in the fetlock joints of the hind legs. Because of this, it is called “foot scabies”. In goats, parasites prefer areas with long hair. In rabbits, chorioptosis begins in the ears.

The body of the chorioptosis mite is oval and transparent. Length 0.3-0.4 mm. The mouthparts are gnawing type. There are suction cups on the limbs. The length of the legs of the fourth pair is 3 times less than the third. The average duration of the development cycle is 18-20 days, depending on environmental conditions.

Choriptoid mites

Subcutaneous mite (hair mite) – Demodex

This mite lives on the human body, namely on the face. The body length is 0.4-0.5 mm, the body is oblong, has a light yellow color. The subcutaneous mite lives in the sebaceous glands, skin pores, glands of the eyelids and hair follicles on the head. By feeding under the skin, the hair mite releases toxic substances that cause an allergic reaction: itching, redness, rash. Subcutaneous mites on people's faces cannot be seen with the naked eye, but only under a microscope. A tick in the skin lays eggs, develops and leaves behind excrement and passages, which leads to the above diseases.

What to do after a tick bite

Without wasting time, you need to remove the arthropod. To do this, you need to visit the emergency room or remove the parasite yourself.

If a tick bites, first aid should be provided immediately

First aid

You need to pull out a live tick, and this should be done carefully so as not to crush it, as it can release infectious agents into the body. It is advisable to use tools purchased at a pharmacy (tick gun, tongs, lasso handle), but thread or tweezers will do. The person removing the tick needs to wear gloves and prepare a container with a lid or a small plastic bag with a zipper. The procedure is carried out as follows:

1. Using tweezers or a special tool, previously wiped with alcohol, grab the tick by the part of the body close to the proboscis. If a thread is used, a loop is made from it and carefully tightened over the head of the parasite located inside.
2. Smoothly, without making any effort, unscrew the tick counterclockwise, without pulling or tearing it out. The head remaining in the wound is pulled out with a sterilized needle.
3. After removal, wash the wound with soap and treat with an alcohol-containing product.
4. Place the parasite in a pre-prepared container.
5. Mark the day of the bite on the calendar.
6. Contact a medical facility. If it is possible to do this as soon as possible, then you don’t have to pull out the tick yourself, but entrust it to a doctor.

Photo gallery: methods of removing ticks

Pharmacies sell special tools for removing ticks.

To remove a tick, the thread is tied into a knot as close to the proboscis as possible.

When removing a tick with tweezers, it is important to grasp it correctly.

It happens that saliva that gets into the wound causes allergic reactions. People with weakened immune systems and children are especially susceptible to them. Signs of allergies:

• weakness, drowsiness, fever;
• aching joints and headache;
• dizziness and nausea;
• an itchy rash around the bite and on different parts of the body.

The listed signs appear with a moderate allergic reaction and disappear after taking antihistamines. But a bite can have more serious consequences:

• difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness;
• hallucinations;
• Quincke's edema (swelling of the face, limbs or throat).

If the following symptoms appear after the bite, you should urgently call an ambulance.

Where to go if bitten by a tick

If the tick was removed at home, then after the procedure you need to take a container with the arthropod placed there and consult an infectious disease doctor. The medical institution will provide qualified assistance: they will administer anti-encephalitis immunoglobin and send the parasite for analysis to determine its level of danger to humans. No earlier than 7 days later, blood is donated to check for borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. You should not put off visiting a doctor even if there are no negative reactions from the body. Some diseases have a long incubation period, so infection can only be confirmed or refuted by laboratory methods.

Symptoms of diseases

Signs of diseases resulting from a tick bite can be varied.

Tick-borne encephalitis

A severe viral disease that affects the gray matter of the brain. It is characterized by fever and intoxication, which leads to damage to the central nervous system (CNS). Severe encephalitis can cause mental retardation, paralysis and death.

Initial symptoms (appear within 1–2 weeks):

• loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting;
• temperature rise to 39ºC;
• fever;
• headache and muscle pain.

Later, temporary relief occurs, but soon the disease begins to progress.

Tick-borne encephalitis can cause muscle atrophy

Relapsing fever

This is a group of life-threatening infectious diseases accompanied by difficulty in consciousness. A period of normal body temperature alternates with attacks of fever. Initial symptoms appear after 3 days:

• cardiopalmus;
• sudden fever;
• headache and muscle pain;
• nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain;
• rash in the form of cherry-colored papules;
• enlarged liver and spleen.

The duration of symptoms is 3–6 days, after which a two-day remission occurs, and after a few days the second stage is observed, which has similar manifestations. In total, 4–5 such exacerbations occur during the course of the illness. With proper treatment, complete recovery occurs.

Relapsing fever, among other symptoms, is characterized by the appearance of a rash

Lyme disease

A disease that affects the joints, nervous and cardiovascular systems, and skin. Symptoms appear 2 days after the lesion:

• bone and muscle pain;
• fatigue, headache;
• fever;
• a specific rash in the shape of a circle.

If treatment is started in time, the development of pathogens will be suppressed and the patient will quickly recover. Otherwise, a few months after the first signs appear, the nervous system, heart and blood vessels, as well as joints are affected, which leads to disability.

With borreliosis, a circle-shaped rash appears

Babesiosis

A severe infectious disease. Initial symptoms appear a week after the bite:

• fatigue, loss of appetite;
• chills, fever, excessive sweating;
• muscle pain.

A severe form leads to the destruction of blood cells, anemia, jaundice, and enlargement of the liver and spleen. With complications, acute renal failure occurs, affecting the lungs, heart and brain, which leads to death.

Babesiosis affects red blood cells, which is clearly visible in laboratory analysis

Tularemia

Acute focal infection affecting the skin, lungs and mucous membranes. Symptoms begin to appear in the first 2 hours after the bite:

• sudden increase in temperature to 41ºC;
• headache, chills;
• nausea, vomiting;
• hardening of the lymph nodes;
• purulent ulcers at the site of the bite.

Heart rhythm disturbances and enlargement of the liver and spleen are also possible. Treatment is carried out only in a hospital.

With tularemia, the bite site thickens

Spotted fever

It affects blood vessels and causes kidney failure. A stroke may occur. The first manifestations of symptoms occur 2–3 weeks after the bite:

• sudden increase in body temperature;
• nausea, vomiting;
• headache, joint and muscle pain;
• a rash of purple or red spots that begins to spread from the extremities and spreads to the rest of the body.

In the future, pneumonia may develop. If you seek medical help in a timely manner, treatment will be quick.

Spotted fever rash appears first on the extremities

Animal diseases

Ticks carry diseases that are dangerous to animals:

1. Hepatozoonosis. Infection occurs as a result of ingestion of the parasite. Symptoms appear only when immunity decreases: fever, discharge from the eyes and pain in the limbs.
2. Bartonellosis. The animal's red blood cells are damaged. The first symptoms include: drowsiness, weakness of the hind limbs, anemia, inflammation of the eyelids, weight loss. Later, nosebleeds, hemorrhages in the eyes, meningitis, and pulmonary edema appear.
3. Ehrlichiosis. Pathogens parasitize in animal cells. 2-3 weeks after the bite, its behavior becomes inactive: the pet often sleeps, refuses to play, and its reactions are sluggish. Gradually, the eyes, blood vessels and joints, and bone marrow begin to be affected.
4. Piroplasmosis. The most common disease. Initial manifestations: lethargy, thirst, refusal to eat. After a few days, the temperature rises, jaundice progresses, internal organs stop functioning normally, and the urine changes color to dark brown.

Unfortunately, even with timely treatment, all these diseases lead to damage to internal organs and destruction of the nervous system. If you notice any of the listed signs, you should immediately contact a veterinary clinic.

Tracheal mite - Sternostomatracheacolum

Tracheal mite

Tracheal mite is a bird mite, such as parrots, canaries, etc. The parasite is 0.4-0.6 mm in size. The tracheal mite is dangerous because the females lay eggs in the host’s lungs, after which the hatched larvae begin to actively drink blood. The tracheal mite irritates the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, resulting in mucus secretion, coughing, wheezing, and sneezing. The bird can die from suffocation due to severe coughing and dead epithelium in the respiratory organs. The tracheal mite is transmitted from adult birds to chicks during feeding.

Dust mites – Dermatophagoides farinae

Dust mite

Body size 0.1-0.5 mm. Dust mites are saprophytic mites, that is, they feed on processed waste products of humans, animals and plants. This is a household mite that lives in pillows, mattresses, linens, and house dust. It is also often called farina, sofa or paper mite. House mites can cause allergic reactions and asthma. Heat treatment of linen, pillows and regular wet cleaning of the house are necessary.

How do these parasites definitely not bite?

In all cases, ixodid ticks bite only to suck blood. They never attack a person in self-defense.

Besides:

1. A tick bite is never extremely painful, never causes acute throbbing pain, or “burns.” All these signs are characteristic of the bites of arthropods, which try to protect themselves or their nests in this way and scare off a person primarily with the acute pain of a bite (bees, wasps, scorpions, etc.);
2. The tick does not bite quickly and does not quickly run away from the bite site. The parasite needs a lot of time to choose the optimal site for suction, and it takes even more time to suck blood. That is, if a minute ago a person examined an area of ​​the body and there was no parasite on it, and then a few minutes later a bite appeared on the same area, but the bloodsucker was not visible, it means that it was definitely not a tick that bit;
3. The tick does not seriously injure a person with its bite; blood does not ooze from the wound left by it;
4. With rare exceptions, tick bites do not cause a rapid, generalized reaction. During the first 1-2 days after the bite, headaches, fainting, heart problems, nausea and deterioration do not develop. Such symptoms may indeed occur later with the development of an infectious disease transmitted by a tick, but not earlier than after a few days of the incubation period (this usually takes several weeks). If such signs appeared in the first hours after the bite was discovered, then it was not a tick that bit.

On a note

The exception to the latter rule is the bite of the Australian paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus. Its individuals, at all stages of their development, secrete a toxin in their saliva, leading to paralysis of the limbs in animals and people, as well as symptoms similar to those of polio (even death is possible). The first signs of paralysis after bites of these ticks appear within 6-7 hours. The species Ixodes holocyclus lives only in Australia, and in Eurasia such situations are excluded.

Photo of Ixodes holocyclus paralysis tick:

Another important sign: ticks never bite through clothing, even very thin ones (through tights, for example). Mosquitoes, midges, horseflies, spiders can bite through thin fabrics, wasps and bees can sting, but ticks never stick to the skin through clothing.

It is also useful to read: How to remove a tick from a dog at home

At the same time, under loose clothing - under wide pants, shirts, T-shirts, on the head under a hat - a tick may well bite.

Chicken mite - Dermanyssus gallinae

Chicken mite

The chicken mite has a dark red body (0.7 mm). This is a parasite that feeds on the blood of domestic and wild birds, and sometimes mammals. The chicken mite lives in wood cracks, bird nests and other places. They leave there only at night to refresh themselves. The chicken mite is dangerous because it can transmit dangerous diseases such as fowl pox virus, piroplasmosis, Newcastle virus and avian cholera. Chicken mites can significantly reduce the egg production of chickens and the quality of chicken meat.

Feather mite

Feather mite

Feather mites are microscopic – 0.5 mm. Down and feather pillows are an ideal habitat for them. Feather mites are dangerous to humans because they cause allergic reactions, urticaria, bronchial asthma, swelling of the respiratory tract and dermatitis. House mites irritate the epidermis of our skin. You can get rid of them by treating pillows with steam or washing them in hot water. It is best to purchase pillows made from non-natural filling.

Ixodid tick - what kind of parasite is it?

Insects called ixodid ticks belong to the arthropod family Ixodidae. The structure of their organs and systems is distinguished by a complex of simple characteristics and the highest level of parasitism, the ability to adapt anywhere.

The length of pliers is 1-10 mm. The body is divided into a trunk, which is called an idiosoma, a proboscis (gnathosoma), a mouthpart, and four pairs of paws. The ixodid tick has fairly developed systems of the digestive tract and genital organs.

During blood sucking it tends to increase significantly in size. Today, about 1 thousand varieties of this mite are known.

Ixodid ticks are inhabitants of all continents of our planet, Antarctica is no exception (on the skin of penguins). Their greatest numbers and diversity are observed in the tropics and subtropics. In the countries of the former USSR, about 100 species of ixodid ticks are known.

They typically live on vertebrates (animals), both wild and pets. A common occurrence is ixodid ticks in cats and dogs. The basis of their nutrition is blood, which they receive due to their parasitic lifestyle. Some varieties are dangerous to humans.

Dangerous diseases are mainly carried by two types of ixodid ticks: the European forest tick (Ixodes ricinus) and the taiga tick (Ixodes persulcatus). Ixodid ticks go through several stages in their development. First it is a larva, then a nymph, and then an adult.

The hungry European tick is small, which is why it is so difficult to notice.

Male - only 2.5 - 3.5 mm, female - 3.5 - 4.5 mm. But as soon as they drink blood, their body increases to 1.1 cm. The color of the body is brownish-brown, and the glossy scutellum is dark brown. A sucked tick turns light gray.

The male (with a hard shield the size of his back) eats quickly and falls off, so he is often not noticed. Females (short shield in front) drink more blood and for longer, up to several days. These are the ones we usually remove from our bodies.

Ticks are difficult to notice on clothing, especially colorful or camouflage ones.

A plain light suit will allow you to quickly draw attention to the bloodsucker crawling across the fabric. In passing, I would like to note that a dangerous infection can be transmitted in the most incredible ways. For example, unboiled goat milk can cause encephalitis.

Ixodid tick development by cycles

The life cycle of ixodid tick development includes the following stages:

1. Egg.
2. Larva.
3. Nymph.
4. Imago is a mature tick, ready to reproduce.

After laying eggs, the female dies (one cycle). After about 1-2 weeks, the eggs hatch into larvae with six legs, measuring 1 by 0.5 mm. After some time, they are ready to attack the host and parasitize in order to feed themselves.

Having fed, the larva enlarges, and after 7-10 days, during the molting process, it enters the nymphal stage (2-3 mm when hungry). To move to the next stage, the nymph must be fully engorged again.

Ixodid ticks feed on the host's blood in a parasitic manner at each stage of their development.

The development cycle of the ixodid tick and its life expectancy as a whole depends on adaptation to environmental conditions, seasonality, method of reproduction, delay in laying eggs by the female and the molting process. At the larval, nymph and mature stages, the ixodid tick feeds no more than once every 3-10 days. After a certain period of time, after the female is well fed, she lays eggs.

There are some species capable of laying on the order of several tens of thousands of eggs at a time. Ixodid ticks are causative agents of terrible diseases in humans and animals. In particular, the most dangerous parasites for people are: the encephalitis tick (Ixodes persulcatus), a carrier of Lyme disease (tick-borne borreliosis), typhus or relapsing fever, fever, and they remain the main carriers of pathogens of piroplasmosis, etc.

Features of the body structure of the ixodid tick

A hungry individual has an oblong oval shape that tapers at the edge at the front. A well-fed tick has a spherical or oval (ovoid) shape, several times larger than a hungry one. The ixodid tick has a thin cuticle (cover) that stretches easily when the tick feeds.

Some parts of the cover have a compacted shield-like structure.

In males they are located on the ventral surface of the body. The main external difference between a female and a male is that her dorsal shield covers a third of the body (in front), while in a male it covers the entire body. Some varieties of ixodid ticks have notches on the posterior edge of the body; there can be up to 11 of them.

A hungry representative has a light color - yellow, brown, brown, and maybe black. If he is well-fed, it will be grayish-pinkish tones. The ixodid tick has well-developed limbs consisting of moving parts: coxa, trochanter, tibia, femur, tarsus.

Each foot has two claws and a suction cup. The proboscis is located in a section of the anterior edge on the body, with which it is connected and remains movable. There are long-proboscis and short-proboscis mites. If its length exceeds its width, then it is long; if it does not exceed it, it is short.

The respiratory organs (holes) are located on both sides in the area behind the fourth leg on special plates. They are called stigma.

Some varieties of ticks have a pair of eyes in the area where their second legs are located. The digestive system of ixodid ticks photo consists of a mouth opening on the proboscis, a gland that secretes saliva, a pharynx, a digestive organ, an intestinal tract and an anus. The excretory system consists of two thin tubes that open the rectal bladder.

The collection of nerve endings (brain) represents the nervous system of the ixodid tick. Paired nerve endings reach every organ and tissue of the individual. The genital organs of a male ixodid tick mean: two testes, two vas deferens, a genital incision and an appendage gland. In the female, the reproductive system is represented by: ovary, oviducts, uterus, glands, vagina, genital recess, and organ of the female.

Types of ticks depending on their habitat

Depending on the location and adaptability of the ixodid tick, some varieties adapted in forests and shrubs, some in the steppe, others in deserts and semi-deserts, others in the mountains, in residential areas, etc.

Each area where ticks are located is focal in nature.

For example, on pastures the ixodid tick lives in a limited area, which has all the necessary conditions (biotic and abiotic) for its full life. Based on the nature of parasitism, they are divided into burrowing and grazing.

Ixodid ticks lay their eggs on the surface - on top of the soil, on the forest floor, on the top of the roots, in a crack in the wall of a building, etc. As for the burrowing tick, it climbs into animal holes and bird nests, laying its eggs in them .

A pasture tick, depending on the nature of its attachment to its host, can be:

• Single-host - one that remains on the body of its owner from the larval stage until the female is engorged with blood, which disappears to lay eggs. As a rule, ixodid ticks parasitize cattle and horses.
• Two-host - they attach to the breadwinner for parasitism at the larval stage, then remain on it even after satiation until the nymph stage. When it is saturated with blood, it disappears to transform into an imago (only in the external environment). Then the imago finds a new host and stays on it until it is completely saturated. The feeders of this type of tick can be a limited number of ungulate species of animals and birds.
• Three-host ixodid tick - which is on the host only during feeding, staying at one stage - larvae, nymphs or adults. According to this lifestyle, ixodid ticks change three hosts during the entire period of their development. The process of molting from one stage to another occurs in the external environment. The larva and nymph, as a rule, parasitize birds and reptiles, while the adult parasitizes larger animals, including large birds.

Who carries Ixodid ticks?

Ticks are carried by rodents (voles, shrews, etc.). Zoologists warn about how many dangerous things are hidden in the needles of hedgehogs. Even moles, martens, hares and birds can contribute to the transmission of ticks. Ixodid ticks use many domestic animals not only as a donor, but also as a vehicle.

Dogs and cats also pick up ticks and carry them into the home or property of their owners.

And people themselves contribute to the spread of ixodid ticks. They bring them on their clothes, in baskets of mushrooms and in bouquets of wild flowers. Ticks can get into an area with spruce branches (usually from lower branches and from trees lying on the ground) or with hay, grass and fertile soil from fields and forests.

Dangerous Seasons

You can suffer from ticks all year round. Some individuals cannot sleep even in winter and early spring. They are found in a pile of hay or in the grass in thawed areas above heating mains. Veterinarians know that a dog can get piroplasmosis even in winter.

A friend of ours had a dog that suffered from a “January” tick, which ended up in the hay when changing the bedding in the kennel. There are also seasonal spikes in tick activity. Spring begins when the flowers of coltsfoot, liverwort, lungwort, wolfberry and other primroses bloom. The maximum number of visits to doctors occurs from the beginning of May to the middle or end of June.

Autumn hunger for ticks begins in August - early September and continues until November.

Summer time cannot be considered safe, although there are fewer ticks. The tick is active in the morning and late afternoon. On a hot afternoon, in a sunny place, it is inactive, but in wet grass and in the shade it continues to wait for its prey. On a warm night you can also catch a bloodsucker. In dry, hot weather and heavy rain, ticks hide.

Where do ticks live?

Ticks live in grass and low bushes, not at heights. They do not climb trees, only stumps. They love forests (especially spruce, birch and mixed ones). They prefer logging, undergrowth and grassy areas of the forest. Trampled earth and asphalt paths are not for them.

Tall (from 7 cm) grass is their habitat. The lower the grass, the safer it is. Pastures and meadows are also infested with ticks. They are also found on grassy roadsides. Residents of villages near Moscow know how many dogs that walk only in their own areas or along roadsides are sick with piroplasmosis.

Muscovites also removed ticks from themselves after walking in parks or squares of the capital.

You should not sit on tree stumps or on a litter of leaves in the forest. The tick usually waits for its prey on the sides of forest paths, in river thickets and on forest edges. There are also many bloodsuckers in the pastures. The tick does not fly and does not jump from trees after prey. He studies the situation, climbing onto the tip of a blade of grass.

He has a wonderful sense of smell. The bloodsucker senses its prey at a distance of up to 10 m. It calmly waits for the approaching donor, then puts forward its paws with tenacious hooks, after which it grabs onto hair, skin or clothing and looks for a suitable place to bite, climbing up the clothing. This most often takes from a few minutes to several hours.

Any trip to nature should end with a thorough examination of the person. There is no need to shake off removed clothing at home or in your area. Better above a bathtub, sink, etc. After walking in the forest, you should take a shower. This will not take much time, but will reduce the risk of getting a fatal disease. Of course, clothing should protect a person from ticks. Don't forget about repellents.

Moose tick - Lipoptenacervi

Moose tick

This is not a tick at all, but a fly, even though it has that name. And this parasite got it because of the similarity of its way of life with ticks. Elk ticks feed primarily on the blood of deer and elk and can lay eggs in their skin. They carry babesiosis and piroplasmosis. The elk tick can also attack a person and feed on his blood, which affects our body. It depends on the person's body size. They are unlikely to attack small children. The elk tick's bite causes itching, redness and a rash on the human body.

How dangerous are ticks?

Many people remember stories from childhood when they were bitten by a tick and simply got it out. In this regard, not everyone knows that they are very lucky. If you catch a tick, this is not only an annoying incident, but also deadly. The tick crawls under the skin and sucks blood. Which, at best, leads to itching and burning, and at worst, fatal diseases: borreliosis, encephalitis, spotted fever, relapsing fever, epilepsy, pneumonia, paralysis and others. The symptoms of diseases in the initial stages are, by and large, no different from ordinary diseases or bites of numerous other representatives of fauna: fever, redness of the bitten area, itching and burning, chills, aches, swelling. Sometimes the bite is accompanied by headaches, nausea and even hallucinations. Therefore, after each visit to their suspected habitats, inspect the body for bites.

Do not go into the forest in open clothes and protect yourself with various repellents, of which there are a huge number on store shelves now. If you often relax in nature, then it is better to go for vaccinations carried out in medical institutions.

If it happens that a tick does bite you, then it is best to consult a doctor immediately. If this is not possible, then you can try to get it yourself. This must be done as carefully as possible; the body of the tick is easily separated from the head, and if it remains, it is much more difficult to remove on your own. Ticks are removed using thread or tweezers. Using gentle circular movements, smoothly remove the carcass. Make sure the head comes out exactly.

Under no circumstances should you throw the tick away after this. It must be taken to a research laboratory to check whether it is encephalitic. If you have been bitten by just such a tick, then you need to see a doctor to prescribe therapy. If a person is paralyzed after a tick bite, you must immediately call an ambulance. You cannot take any independent action.

Soil mite (root)

Soil mite

The soil mite has an oval light body (0.5-1 mm). Root mites live in the soil, gnawing into roots and root crops, which causes harm to agriculture. Damaged root crops become rotten and often rot. Infestation of crops by soil mites can also occur during storage. Acaricides (anti-mite drugs) will help you in the fight against soil mites.

Mealy (mealy) or granary mite

Flour mite

The mealy mite is microscopic, with a body length of 0.32-0.67 mm. The flour mite feeds on cereals, flour, meat products, and dried fruits. The barn mite is a pest of food stored in the home. Grain that has been damaged by flour mites is unsuitable for consumption. The flour mite carries E. coli and various bacteria. Their skin causes allergies and dermatoses, especially in children. The flour mite also contributes to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, shortness of breath, anaphylaxis, and kidney disease. The flour mite does not tolerate low temperatures. For fumigation of large premises, it is recommended to use acaricides Phostoksin, Fostek.

Armored mite - Oribatida

Armored mite

The oribatid mite has a dark brown body color (0.7-0.9 mm). It is not harmful to humans and agriculture. On the contrary, it helps regulate the decomposition of organic substances and microorganisms living in the soil. The soil becomes loose and favorable for plant growth. The oribatid mite feeds on plant and animal decaying remains.

Rat mite - Ornithonyssusbacoti

Rat mite

The rat mite mainly attacks rats, but can also drink the blood of other rodents. Body 0.75 to 1.44 mm gray or black. Rat mites can also attack other mammals, including humans. Rat mites on the human body leave redness, itching, swelling, and a rash. The rat mite is dangerous because it transmits dangerous diseases such as rat tick-borne dermatitis, tularemia, typhoid, and fever. A rat can easily transmit these diseases to humans.

What happens when a parasite is sucked on?

Ixodid ticks bite exclusively to feed on blood - this is their only source of food. To saturate the parasite needs:

1. Get caught on the victim’s clothing or fur;
2. Get to a place convenient for blood sucking;
3. Pierce the skin and attach to the wound;
4. Suck blood;
5. Detach and leave the host's body.

It is important to understand that there are almost never situations in which a tick bites, but does not have time to attach itself and crawls away.

In general, finding a host and securing it in its skin is a complex process. The tick is usually found at the top of a grass stem with its front pair of legs extended forward. When a person or animal approaches, the parasite instantly grabs onto the host.

Then, from 2-3 minutes to an hour, the tick moves around the host’s body and looks for well-supplied areas with thin skin. Then the bite occurs:

1. The parasite places the palps to the sides, which normally act as “sheaths” and cover the hypostome;

2. The hypostome and chelicerae penetrate the skin;
3. It releases saliva into the wound, containing many functional components (this includes anticoagulants that prevent blood clotting and thickening, painkillers, compounds that envelop the hypostome and partially spread in the intercellular space, gradually harden and form a kind of case that very reliably holds the parasite in the skin );
4. Then the tick begins to suck blood, lymph and inflammatory infiltrate from the wound.

The photo below shows the proboscis (hypostome) of a tick:

And this is what a hypostome looks like under a scanning electron microscope:

Representatives of different species of ticks and individuals at different stages of their life cycle tend to choose different places on the body of the host for attachment. On the human body, these are most often the armpit areas, and then, in descending order of frequency of attachment, the following areas follow:

• Breast;
• Stomach;
• Hands (including between fingers);
• Buttocks and perianal area;
• Groin;
• Legs;
• Neck and head (especially the area behind the ears).

The photo below shows a tick attached to a child’s ear:

And here the parasite got into his throat:

It is noteworthy that in children, ticks are more often than in adults, attached to the head (including in the hair, often behind the ear) and sometimes even on the face - on the cheeks, on the chin.

At the same time, the areas of attachment are largely determined by how the person is dressed. If, for example, his whole body is covered with thick clothing, then the parasite can reach his head from his feet and attach itself here.

The duration of blood sucking depends on the sex of the parasite and the stage of its development. Thus, tick nymphs of all ages feed at each stage of their development for 3-6 days, and female nymphs feed on average a day longer than male ones. Adult males feed for about the same amount of time - 3-6 days, and adult females - on average from 8 to 14 days.

This is interesting

Some types of ticks can feed for either much less or much longer periods of time. For example, the larvae of Haemaphysalis kitaokai become engorged within 2-3 hours, and the females of Geochelone pardalis, which parasitize turtles, fall off on average only 60 days after attachment.

It is noteworthy that while feeding, the tick does not constantly suck blood. Short acts of sucking are followed by periods of rest, then by injecting another portion of saliva into the wound. Studies have shown that no more than 15% of the time the parasite is attached to the host is spent directly on blood sucking. This indicates a certain primitiveness of this method of feeding and to a certain extent reduces the survival rate of feeding ticks.

It is also useful to read: How a tick bites: details about the process when it digs into the skin

The photos below show female ticks engorged with blood:

Throughout the entire period of bloodsucking, the parasite not only fills the digestive tract with blood and inflammatory infiltrate of the host, but at the same time actively grows and develops. In nymphs, it is at this time that the rapid development of internal organs and the growth of body integument occurs, and in adult males and females, the maturation of the reproductive system occurs.

Therefore, by the way, during one feeding each tick sucks out more blood and other liquids than it weighs at the time of detachment. Within a few days of feeding on the host, most of the food consumed has time to be digested and spent on development and growth, and undigested components are excreted in excrement. As a result, female ticks, weighing 7-10 mg before feeding, absorb about 5500-8500 mg of food during attachment, but weigh only 900-1400 mg after falling off.

This is interesting

Almost no environmental factors can force an unsatiated tick to detach from its host. The fact is that the very fact of getting on the host’s body and attaching to it is a vital necessity for each individual individual. Thus, one female lays several thousand eggs, and not all of them are fertilized and only a portion hatch into larvae.

Of several thousand larvae, only a few will be able to find the first host, and all the rest will die either from hunger or from predators. Likewise, of the several thousand larvae that have molted into the first instar nymph, only a few will be able to feed on the next host. As a result, for every adult tick that attaches itself to a person or animal, there are millions of its dead counterparts who did not manage to do so. Therefore, it is biologically conditioned that if a tick has attached itself, it will detach itself only after saturation, and it is impossible to force it to do this earlier. He would rather die than miss the chance to be satiated to the end.

It is for this reason that methods of removing attached ticks using hot matches, oil or repellents are ineffective. Even if burned or suffocated by a drop of oil, the tick will not let go of its victim.

If the tick is full, it independently removes the gnathosoma from the skin. What will happen to it next depends on the type of parasite and the stage of development of the individual:

• In one- and two-host ticks, nymphs and larvae can remain on the host’s body, molt here, and after moving to the next instar, attach themselves again. This happens most often when parasitizing cattle;
• Adult males of some species, after detachment, go to look for females that have attached themselves to the same host in order to copulate with them. The photo below shows a lot of attached ticks of different ages in the dog’s ear;

• In three-host species, after each saturation, the larvae and nymphs fall away from the host, look for secluded shelters in the ground and under stones, where they molt, and sometimes overwinter, and then go in search of new hosts;
• Adult females of all species, after satiation, disappear and hide in random shelters on the ground. Here they wait for the eggs to fully mature and lay them, after which they die.

It is interesting that if in nymphs of all ages, larvae and adult males, nutrition contributes to the general development of the body, then in adult females, when feeding, the reproductive system first fully matures, and after fertilization, degradation of the digestive system begins with the parallel development of a large number of eggs. In fact, after complete saturation and development, the adult female is a living egg sac, practically incapable of further life. She can still move a short distance to find shelter on the ground, but here, after laying eggs, all that remains of her is actually the mouthparts and the shell of the idiosome.

Adult males also do not live long after feeding, but their lives are a little more eventful. They actively search for females, fertilize them, and can feed them several times. However, engorged adult males no longer survive the change of seasons and do not live to see the next year.

Currant bud mite - Cecidophyopsis ribis

Currant bud mite

Currant mite is white, worm-shaped (0.2 mm). The bud mite is a pest of currants and gooseberries. The bud mite on currants feeds on plant juices. It gets to plants with the help of insects, birds, and wind. The bud mite, overwintering in currant buds, damages them, which leads to deformation and death of the buds. The bud mite on currants can settle up to 8 individuals per bud. To combat it, acaricides are used and the rules of agricultural technology are followed. The bud mite on currants produces five generations per year.

Gall mite – Eriophyoidea

Gall mite

A leaf with galls damaged by a gall mite

The gall mite has a worm-shaped body (0.1-0.3 mm). It inhabits both cultivated and wild trees, bushes, and shrubs. The gall mite sucks juices from plant leaves, as a result of which photosynthesis and water balance are disrupted, which ultimately leads to deformation and drying of the leaves. Also, small shoots appear on the leaves - galls, in which the gall mite hides and lays eggs. It is necessary to spray the plants with acaricides and insecticides, follow the rules of agricultural technology, and thus the gall mite will no longer harm your plants.

Demodectic mites

Mites of the genus Demodex do not cause itching in animals when they parasitize hair follicles. These parasites have a cigar-shaped body and are completely different from other ticks. The length of the female is 0.3 mm, the male is 0.2 mm. Maximum body width 0.06 mm.

All demodexes are morphologically similar, but each species parasitizes “its own” animal. In human economic activity, the most important demodexes are those that parasitize domestic animals:

• Demodex bovis – cattle;
• Demodex phyloides – pigs;
• Demodex ovis – sheep;
• Demodex caprae – goats;
• Demodex equi – horses;
• Demodex cati – cats;
• Demodex canis - dogs.

Infection occurs through close contact of a sick individual with a healthy one, so the first lesions are usually localized on the head, sides, and neck. Very rarely on the back.

Important! With extensive skin lesions, demodexes migrate to the internal organs: liver and spleen. Inside the body, mites enter a resting stage.

Strawberry mite - Phytonemus pallidus

Strawberry mite

The body is oval, translucent, pale yellow (0.1-0.2 mm). The strawberry mite feeds on leaf juices and is located on the underside of the leaf blade. The strawberry mite attacks the plant during the period when its antennae are released. The harm that the strawberry mite causes to strawberries is wilting, drying and dying of leaves. The strawberry mite produces about 7 generations per year. So the scale of its settlement can be quite large.

Spider mite - Tetranychinae

Spider mites on an orchid

Spider mite on violet

Spider mites on cucumbers

What does a spider mite's web look like?

The body is oval (0.4-0.6 mm). The color of the body depends on the tick's way of life. For example, spider mites on red cucumbers. This red mite settles on the underside of the leaf and sucks the juices from the plant. The red mite settles on cucumbers in large colonies, which leads to the rapid death of the plant. The red mite on flowers also causes no less damage. It is also called flower mite. He enjoys populating indoor plants. For example, the red mite on an orchid reproduces very actively, especially at warm temperatures. Spider mites settle on violets no less than on other flowers. The pubescent leaf is an ideal habitat for it. Spider mites leave a thin web on plants; only those species that have a spinning apparatus are capable of this. Their web does not have any special meaning; it is only a characteristic feature that they inherited from their relatives of spiders.

Ixodid (forest/taiga) tick – Ixodidae

Ixodid tick

The body is flat, round or oval (1-10mm). This is a gray mite, sometimes light yellow to brown, or almost black mite. Taiga ticks are bloodsuckers by nature of their diet. After feeding on blood, this forest tick turns gray or pinkish-yellowish. Stages of development of ixodid ticks: egg, larva, nymph and adult. The usual victims of larvae and nymphs are small animals, but ticks are found on humans just as often. They are usually attached to the head or other places with hair. The forest tick most often carries Lyme disease, that is, the well-known encephalitis, piroplasmosis and others. It is distributed all over the world. These are the most dangerous ticks.

Author: Julia Paydem

What should I do if bitten by a tick

What does a tick look like under the skin of a person? Recognizing a tick is not so easy. If it has already stuck, then a barely noticeable wound will remain on the skin. The bite site is usually itchy, itchy, or inflamed. If you've been outdoors, be sure to take a look at yourself at home.

If you have been bitten by a tick, then you will probably want to know what an encephalitis tick looks like, but this is impossible to do. Infected individuals have no distinctive features in appearance. It is possible to find out whether an individual is infected only through clinical tests. Therefore, it is important to get the parasite alive. You can do this yourself using special tools, but it is still better if you have the opportunity to consult a doctor. If you were unable to get the parasite alive, then a trip to the doctor is mandatory. You will be given a blood test to determine the presence or absence of the disease. Further, depending on the circumstances, you will be prescribed treatment. Ticks also pose a threat to animals. This is especially true for dogs. What does a tick look like on a dog? In fact, the wound is no different from a human bite. But it is even more difficult to detect due to the thick fur of dogs. Always inspect and comb your dog after every walk, this way you will protect it from harmful parasites.