A really ugly sight OR an engorged tick (New image added)

elf · Post by **elf** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:33 pm

Fortunately it wasn't on me, unfortunately we found it on our dog today. We actually started the Lyme disease treatment on the dog 4 days ago as a precaution after finding some on us during our trip through Oregon.

I wasn't able to get a very sharp image of it right side up as it was crawling faster than I could focus.

If anyone can ID this from these miserable images, I'd be happy.

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:43 pm

It is a tick. Not my area of expertise.

Harold

elf · Post by **elf** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:48 pm

Harold Gough wrote:It is a tick.

Harold

Yes, and full of blood

The tick is about 13mm long so it's probably not one of the Lyme disease carrying type. But it would be nice to know the species.

p.s. The first image is about 1.3:1

elf · Post by **elf** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:28 pm

Here's a slightly better image:

It was cropped about 30%, then resized to 800 pixels.
This was done handheld with the Olympus 35mm macro using fiber optic flash attachment: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... highlight=

The previous images were taken with the El-Nikkor 50mm and using the spherical pano head.

Aynia · Post by **Aynia** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:20 am

Ugghh, ugghhh ugghhh!

Great photos.. and I really must try the fibre optic thing out. It's on my list of projects.

Planapo · Post by **Planapo** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:50 pm

elf,

Sorry, I had missed this string earlier. The tick should be a species of the genus Dermacentor , though I can't tell what NA species of that genus it is.

Your self-made fibre optic device for flash works really well in that last photo.

--Betty

elf · Post by **elf** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:58 pm

Planapo wrote:elf,

Sorry, I had missed this string earlier. The tick should be a species of the genus Dermacentor , though I can't tell what NA species of that genus it is.

Your self-made fibre optic device for flash works really well in that last photo.

--Betty

It may be Dermacentor variabilis, but the only images of one I've seen online show a much darker body when engorged. None of the tick images I've seen online were high enough quality to really compare them to this one.

Planapo · Post by **Planapo** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:50 am

Dermacentor can have such a whitish look when engorged. See for example: http://bugguide.net/node/view/256161

--Betty

elf · Post by **elf** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 10:22 pm

This ugly thing has finally expired after laying a large clutch of eggs which are safely sealed in a jar. I'd take them out and photograph them, but my meager equipment wouldn't do them justice. Does anyone in the Pacific Northwest want to put them under a microscope (or raise them as pets)?

p.s. How long do they stay in the egg stage?

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 10:52 pm

elf wrote:How long do they stay in the egg stage?

I don't know but many insect eggs hatch in about 3 days! Watch for darkening of colour. which is the typical sign.

Harold