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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Mites and Ticks (Acari) » Parasitiformes » Ticks (Ixodida) » Hard Ticks (Ixodidae) » Dermacentor » American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
Photo#275991
Dermacentor variabilis ? - Dermacentor variabilis
Copyright © 2009 Gary McDonald

Dermacentor variabilis ? - Dermacentor variabilis
Aromas, San Benito County, California, USA
May 15, 2009
Size: ~5mm total length.
Found this guy crawling on my ankle, I assume it is a dog tick. (live oak/chaparral habitat).
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Contributed by Gary McDonald on 16 May, 2009 - 6:39pm
Last updated 19 May, 2009 - 11:05am

D. occidentalis?
In San Benito Co., I think you can also find Dermacentor occidentalis, the Pacific coast tick. Distinguishing D. variabilis from D. occidentalis will probably require the use of a microscope.
… Jon Oliver, 17 May, 2009 - 11:04am login or register to post comments

 
How do I distinguish the two species?
This guy made the critical error of crawling on my ankle while I was working on my computer, next to which happened to be a 4 dram vial of EtOH, where he now resides. I have dissecting & compound microscopes available.
… Gary McDonald, 17 May, 2009 - 12:16pm login or register to post comments

 
Key
There is a good article with micrographs for keying out adults of Dermacentor:

Yunker CE, Keirans JE, Clifford CM, Easton ER. 1986. Dermacentor ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) if the New World: a scanning electrom microscope atlas. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 88(4), pp. 609-627.
… Jon Oliver, 18 May, 2009 - 9:45am login or register to post comments

 
Thank you Jon
I downloaded the key and ran this this guy through it; it is definitely Dermacentor variabilis.
… Gary McDonald, 19 May, 2009 - 11:04am login or register to post comments

Dermacentor variabilis
I'm not an expert but that looks like what we call a dog tick in Maryland. Nice photograph.
… Lauren Brice, 16 May, 2009 - 9:43pm login or register to post comments

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