16/08/2015
I thought I'd raise the discomfort level today. A an engorged female dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Ixodida: Ixodidae). There are few things that creep people out more than finding a tick crawling around on them (maybe a leech). In addition to the "ick" factor these ticks can spread disease and can cause tick paralysis. By the time we encounter this stage of a tick it has already fed on two other hosts.
