Dermacentor variabilis?
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
- Gilles Benoit
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:54 am
- Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Dermacentor variabilis?
This tick was found on a dog.
Nikon D750, M4X, 262 exp. stack
Nikon D750, M4X, 262 exp. stack
- MarkSturtevant
- Posts: 1946
- Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
- Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
- Contact:
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
Definitely not a tick. I am thinking one of the "louse flies", which are blood sucking tick-like flies. Females are generally wingless, while males have wings.
See https://bugguide.net/node/view/13382
Pretty cool find, really!
See https://bugguide.net/node/view/13382
Pretty cool find, really!
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters
Dept. of Still Waters
- Gilles Benoit
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:54 am
- Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
Thanks for the info, Mark.
- MarkSturtevant
- Posts: 1946
- Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
- Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
- Contact:
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
You are welcome. That is an amazing shot of the proboscis. If you could post a picture of the whole thing, then I could maybe tell for sure what it is.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters
Dept. of Still Waters
- rjlittlefield
- Site Admin
- Posts: 23561
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
- Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
- Contact:
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
I'd like to see the whole body also. From just this head shot, I absolutely would have thought "tick" also!
Mark, are there some specific bits of anatomy that scream "not a tick"? Or is it a matter of some general impression, not easily explained?
--Rik
Mark, are there some specific bits of anatomy that scream "not a tick"? Or is it a matter of some general impression, not easily explained?
--Rik
- MarkSturtevant
- Posts: 1946
- Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
- Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
- Contact:
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
It looks like it has large-ish compound eyes. Ticks do have eye facets, but not like that as far as I've seen. Also the bristles strike me as being just not tick-like, though its hard to convey why. I could go either way on the proboscis, since that in both ticks and biting flies can be similar. So I'm prepared to be wrong (and i have been before about arthropods).rjlittlefield wrote: ↑Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:28 amI'd like to see the whole body also. From just this head shot, I absolutely would have thought "tick" also!
Mark, are there some specific bits of anatomy that scream "not a tick"? Or is it a matter of some general impression, not easily explained?
--Rik
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters
Dept. of Still Waters
- Gilles Benoit
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:54 am
- Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
I hope this shot helps in identifying it, Thank you, all.
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
8 legs and no differentiation between body parts...to me it's a tick, no idea about the species
Pau
- MarkSturtevant
- Posts: 1946
- Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
- Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
- Contact:
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
Thats a tick. I shall sit on my hands for a while!
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters
Dept. of Still Waters
- rjlittlefield
- Site Admin
- Posts: 23561
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
- Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
- Contact:
Re: Dermacentor variabilis?
Excellent -- I feel much relieved!
So now, knowing that this really is a tick, let me say that this picture gives the clearest view I have ever seen of the chelicerae at the tip of the proboscis -- the little scissors-like parts that do the slicing.
See the diagram at https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publi ... /tick.html .
--Rik
So now, knowing that this really is a tick, let me say that this picture gives the clearest view I have ever seen of the chelicerae at the tip of the proboscis -- the little scissors-like parts that do the slicing.
See the diagram at https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publi ... /tick.html .
--Rik
- Gilles Benoit
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:54 am
- Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada