Types of Ticks

Typically take one blood meal in each of the three developmental stages — larval, nymphal and adult.
Remain attached for several days and then drop off.
Genera: Ixodes, Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus
Have a scutum while soft ticks do not.
Males: the scutum is large, completely covering the dorsal surface.
Females: the scutum covers only a part of the dorsal surface and is almost obscured when she becomes engorged.
The capitulum of hard ticks extends forward from the anterior end of the body; bears some resemblance to a true head.
The spiracles lie behind the fourth pair of coxae, or basal segments of the leg.
Both sexes are blood feeders, but only the female becomes greatly distended during engorgement.
Most species feed on a different host during each stage, but there are some one-host and two-host species.

Live in animal nests
Feed many times during their lives
Feed for a few minutes during the night and then drop off
There are four genera, of which Ornithodoros is the most important disease transmitting vector of the soft tick family.
Male and female soft ticks are similar in appearance, with no dorsal plate (scutum) to distinguish the sexes as in hard ticks.
The capitulum which bears the mouth parts is located beneath the anterior margin of the body.
The spiracles lie on the sides of the body above the third and fourth pairs of legs.
Some species of soft ticks feed on humans, but they are more common on birds and, occasionally, on bats and other small mammals.
Sexes are distinguished by the shape of the genital opening
Males is circular or crescent-shaped
Females is a transverse split, wider than long.
Example: relapsing fever tick