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Home » Forums » General Discussion

Deer Ked

I don't have a photo, but I'm pretty sure we saw this on our deer today. What made me freak out was I thought that it was a tick with wings! And I was pretty sure that ticks didn't have wings (can you imagine!!!), so I did a little searching and think that it was a deer ked.

It was a coastal black-tailed deer on Vancouver Island. I've never heard of this ectoparasite, and I see they occur in the southern US, but wasn't sure if it was possible that they'd be here?

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Amie
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Contributed by Amie Roman on 17 October, 2009 - 8:48pm

Comments

i messed up
when i got my deer this fall i saw them crawling on it..and i meant to save a couple. i got busy skinning etc and i forgot and when i did remember the hide was cold and i couldnt find any.. next year ill make it a point to get some pictures..i wonder if they are on bears too?
… Edna Woodward, 18 November, 2009 - 8:24am login or register to post comments

 
almost ditto
We did exactly the same - but luckily for us, they were still crawling on the hide, so we've bagged a couple and I'm sending them down to the Royal British Columbia Museum to Robert Cannings for their records.

I don't know if they're on bears, interesting thought. There are species that parasitize birds though.
… Amie Roman, 21 November, 2009 - 7:14pm login or register to post comments

Could be
The species that occurs in the southern US is Lipoptena mazamae Rondani 1878, which goes by the name of Neotropical Deer Ked- because it's found further south than the other species.

Lipoptena cervi (Linnaeus, 1758) is an introduced species that seems to be exclusively in the northeast US.

That's not all the species, though: Lipoptena depressa Say 1823 is the species we don't have on BugGuide. It feeds on Black-tail Deer, and has been reported from southern Canada.
… Chuck Entz, 17 October, 2009 - 11:13pm login or register to post comments

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