Tick Life Cycle

Introduction:

Ticks are invertebrates that fall under the suborder Ixodida and the subclass Acari. Ticks are parasites that comprise about 825 species. They are part of a large group of domestic parasites that attack human beings sometimes. The most popular tick is the hard tick called American dog tick, that feeds on the dog for several days. We have all seen dogs scratching themselves rigorously when they suffer from tick infestation. The life cycle of an Ixodidae insect lasts for about 2 years.

Now, let us look at their life cycle to get a better understanding.

1) The Egg – Stage 1 –

After the adult female tick has acquired a proper blood meal, she mates with the adult male tick, leaves the host and searches for a suitable spot to lay her eggs. The eggs hatch and six-legged larvae emerge from the eggs.

2) The Larvae – Stage 2 –

Apart from missing legs, the larva tick looks like the adult tick in this stage. After hatching, the larva moves up the leaves of grass and waits for a suitable host to attach. The scent of the mammal enables the tick to identify it and attach itself to the host. Once attached to the host, the larvae feed and undergo several stages of moulting to transform into a nymph.

3) The Nymph – Stage 3 –

After finishing a good blood meal, the larvae detach and moult in order to develop 8 legs. The larvae moult for about 2 weeks and transform into nymph ticks. The nymph has developed 8 legs and once again searches for a suitable host to attach and feed. This process is the same as the larvae tick.

4) The Adult – Stage 4 –

Here the tick is sexually mature and is able to reproduce. In the case of hard ticks, the male and female adult ticks get sufficient blood meals before mating. While feeding, the female tick might take a longer time for feeding compared to male ticks. Male tick dies after mating and the female tick dies after laying the eggs. The eggs laid by the female tick are approximately 2000 to 18000 eggs. In the case of soft ticks, they acquire smaller blood meals and lay eggs several times.