Answer to Case 585

Answer toParasite Case of the Week 585: Hard tick,Ixodes scapularis,unengorged adult female with intact mouth parts.As several of you mentioned, it would be important to know the location for where this tick was obtained. This particular tick was obtained in Florida, although similar-appearing ticks are found on the west coast of the United States (Ixodes pacificus) and Europe (Ixodes ricinus). All three of these ticks serve as the vector for members of theBorrelia burgdorferisensu lato species complex that cause human Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis).There are a couple of features which can get you to the genus level pretty quickly:You will then want to refer to specific keys for the morphologic identification ofIxodesticks in the different regions of this world.Thanks again to Florida Fan for donating this case!
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs