Dermacentor andersoni

Dermacentor andersoni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Subclass:	Acari
Superorder:	Parasitiformes
Order:	Ixodida
Family:	Ixodidae
Genus:	Dermacentor
Species:	D. andersoni
Binomial name
Dermacentor andersoni Stiles, 1908

Dermacentor andersoni, commonly known as the Rocky Mountain wood tick, is a species of tick.^[1]

It can cause tick paralysis.

Diagnostic features: Larva only has 3 pairs of legs. Nymph has 4 pairs. Single pair of spiracular openings (stigmata) close to the coxae (leg bases or segments) of the 4th pair of legs (except in larvae) Terminal capitulum (mouthparts) visible from above in all stages except the egg, of course. A large sclerite called the Scutum present dorsally behind the capitulum. The scutum almost entirely covers the back of the male, but only partly covers the back of the female. Eyes, if present, are on the scutum. Sexual dimorphism in size and colour is frequent. The female is often larger. Posterior margin of opisthosoma usually sub-divided into sclerites callel festoons. Pedipalps rigid along the chelicerae, not leg-like. Single pair of spiracular openings (stigmata)

References

1. ^ Dergousoff SJ, Gajadhar AJ, Chilton NB (March 2009). "Prevalence of Rickettsia species in Canadian populations of Dermacentor andersoni and D. variabilis". Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75 (6): 1786–9. doi:10.1128/AEM.02554-08. PMC 2655481. PMID 19151178. http://aem.asm.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=19151178.