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| − | ==Life cycle== | + | ==[[Tick Life Cycle]]== |
| − | [[Image:Ticks mating.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Ixodes ricinus'' mating - Wikimedia Commons]] | |
| − | *Ticks are temporary parasites so only spend a short period of their lives on the host species
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| − | *When larvae are seeking a host they are known as '''seed ticks'''
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| − | *Both hard and soft ticks have the same life cycle
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| − | **Egg → larva → nymph → adult
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| − | *Soft ticks feed little and often and on '''many hosts'''
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| − | '''Hard ticks'''
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| − | *Classified depending on the number of host species they parasitise during their life cycle
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| − | *Take one blood meal at each life cycle stage which lasts several days
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| − | *'''One-host ticks'''
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| − | **Each stage feeds and develops on one host (the same host)
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| − | **E.g. ''Boophillus spp.''
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| − | *'''Two-host ticks'''
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| − | **Larvae and nymphs feed on one host
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| − | **Adults feed on a second host
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| − | **E.g. ''Hyalomma''
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| − | *'''Three-host ticks'''
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| − | **Each stage feeds and develops on a different host
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| − | **E.g. ''Ixodes spp.''
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