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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Mites and Ticks (Acari) » Parasitiformes » Ticks (Ixodida) » Hard Ticks (Ixodidae) » Dermacentor » Pacific Coast Tick (Dermacentor occidentalis)
Photo#514742
Tick - Dermacentor occidentalis
Copyright © 2011 Timothy Boomer

Tick - Dermacentor occidentalis
Effie Yeaw/Carmichael, Sacramento County, California, USA
April 1, 2011
Looks like a dermacentor sp. to me. Confirmations or further IDs would be greatly appreciated.

Images of this individual: tag all
Tick - Dermacentor occidentalis Tick - Dermacentor occidentalis
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Contributed by Timothy Boomer on 11 May, 2011 - 4:43pm
Last updated 14 May, 2011 - 2:39pm

Dead & moldy... yet guideworthy
Moved from ID Request.
… v belov, 14 May, 2011 - 2:39pm login or register to post comments

Dead, moldy tick
Based on the coloration of the scutum and, the pearlescent coloration of the forelegs, and the length of the cornua, I'm leaning toward D. occidentalis. A shot of the spiracular plate or a different angle on the basis capitulum, could further confirm this ID.

Seasonality also supports D. occidentalis which is found in Sacramento Co. Nov. - June. D. variabilis is found May - August.
… Jon Oliver, 12 May, 2011 - 10:01am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for all the helpful in
Thanks for all the helpful info. Unfortunately, this is the only view I have, but D. occidentalis sounds like a very logical choice to me. Are you sure she's dead? Her forelegs moved to several different positions while I was setting up my equipment.
… Timothy Boomer, 12 May, 2011 - 3:49pm login or register to post comments

 
Or alive...
Well, if she moved, I suppose she must be alive. I was just basing it off what appears to be fungal hyphae on the legs on the left side of the picture and the odd foreleg position that I have seen sometimes in dead ticks.
… Jon Oliver, 12 May, 2011 - 3:55pm login or register to post comments

female Dermacentor, yes
nice pics. There are a couple west coast species, and a view of the spiracular plate would aid in a specied-level ID.
… Blaine Mathison, 11 May, 2011 - 5:17pm login or register to post comments

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