Soft-tick
Guides
Argas
Bat-ticks
Argas is a genus of soft ticks in the family Argasidae, containing 44 species across two subgenera: Argas and Persicargas. These ticks lack the hard dorsal shield characteristic of hard ticks (Ixodidae) and exhibit distinctive feeding behaviors, taking multiple short blood meals rather than prolonged single feedings. The genus includes species with exceptional longevity—Argas brumpti individuals have survived 27 years in laboratory conditions and endured eight years without feeding. Argas species serve as vectors for tick-borne pathogens including those causing tick-borne relapsing fever.
Carios
Carios is a genus of soft ticks in the family Argasidae, comprising eight recognized species. Members of this genus are ectoparasites primarily associated with bats, with a cosmopolitan distribution spanning the Palearctic, Nearctic, and other regions. The genus is distinguished by morphological and ecological adaptations for life in bat roosts. Several species have documented medical significance due to aggressive biting behavior and potential pathogen transmission.
Carios kelleyi
Carios kelleyi is a soft tick (family Argasidae) that parasitizes bats, primarily the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). First described in 1941, this species has been documented across much of North America and has been recorded in at least 29 of the 48 conterminous United States, plus Canada and Cuba. The species has gained attention due to its association with human dwellings when bats roost in attics and structures, and its potential to bite humans when primary bat hosts are removed. Recent studies have identified rickettsial agents in C. kelleyi, including Rickettsia lusitaniae (first U.S. detection), 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae', and a Rickettsia parkeri-like agent, raising public health concerns about its vector potential.
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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turicata
relapsing fever tick
Ornithodoros turicata is a soft tick (family Argasidae) found in the midwestern and southwestern United States. It is the primary vector of Borrelia turicatae, the spirochete agent of tick-borne relapsing fever in humans. The tick has been documented feeding on at least 27 vertebrate host species across mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. It exhibits autogenous reproduction (egg production without a bloodmeal) and transovarial transmission of spirochetes, enabling pathogen maintenance across generations.
Otobius
spinose ear tick
Otobius is a genus of soft-bodied ticks in the family Argasidae. Adults possess a vestigial hypostome (feeding mouthpart) despite nymphs having a fully developed hypostome, and lack both eyes and a hood. The genus contains two species: O. lagophilus, associated with lagomorph hosts, and O. megnini, the spinose ear tick, which infests the ear canals of domestic and wild mammals. O. megnini is of veterinary significance due to its propensity to cause otitis, ear canal obstruction, and associated neurological symptoms in heavily infested hosts.
Otobius megnini
spinose ear tick
Otobius megnini, commonly known as the spinose ear tick, is a soft-bodied tick in the family Argasidae. Only the larval and nymphal stages are parasitic, residing deep within the external ear canals of mammals. Adults are non-feeding and free-living. The species has a worldwide distribution and is a significant veterinary pest of horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and dogs, causing otitis, irritation, and occasionally secondary complications such as muscle spasms or colic in horses.