Dermacentor variabilis?

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Gilles Benoit
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Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by Gilles Benoit »

This tick was found on a dog.
Nikon D750, M4X, 262 exp. stack
Image

MarkSturtevant
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by MarkSturtevant »

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!
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Gilles Benoit
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by Gilles Benoit »

Thanks for the info, Mark.

MarkSturtevant
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by MarkSturtevant »

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
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rjlittlefield
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by rjlittlefield »

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

MarkSturtevant
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by MarkSturtevant »

rjlittlefield wrote:
Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:28 am
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
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).
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Gilles Benoit
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Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by Gilles Benoit »

I hope this shot helps in identifying it, Thank you, all.

Image

Pau
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by Pau »

8 legs and no differentiation between body parts...to me it's a tick, no idea about the species
Pau

MarkSturtevant
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by MarkSturtevant »

Thats a tick. I shall sit on my hands for a while! :oops:
Mark Sturtevant
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rjlittlefield
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by rjlittlefield »

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

Gilles Benoit
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Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:54 am
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Re: Dermacentor variabilis?

Post by Gilles Benoit »

Thank you,

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