Key Identification Features
- The life cycle of Ixodes pacificus has four distinct stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult, and it takes approximately three years for the species to complete a full life cycle.
- Females have distinct dorsal silver-gray ornamentation that becomes grayer when the tick feeds, while males have gray and white spotting with no distinctive shield marking.
- Features that distinguish this species from other ticks relate to the number and size of goblets, the respiratory structures on its spiracular plates; D.
- andersoni typically has an average of 100–200 goblets, a trait only observable under a light microscope.
For instant identification in the field, use the iNature app — AI-powered, works offline.
