Questing-behavior
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Ixodes affinis
Ixodes affinis is a hard-bodied tick species distributed across the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Unlike its congener Ixodes scapularis, this species does not bite humans but serves as a competent vector for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Immature stages feed on birds and small mammals, while adults parasitize larger mammals including deer and dogs. Its expanding range into southeastern Virginia and association with migratory birds has raised concerns about its role in pathogen dispersal.
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pacificus
Western black-legged tick, Western blacklegged tick
Ixodes pacificus, the western black-legged tick, is a hard tick (family Ixodidae) and the principal vector of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) in the western United States. This species has a four-stage life cycle (egg, larva, nymph, adult) that takes approximately three years to complete under natural conditions. Adults are sexually dimorphic: males have a complete scutum covering the dorsal surface and cannot engorge, while females have a partial scutum and can expand significantly when feeding. The species is a known vector for multiple human pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and others.