Tick ​​nymph: photo and description of how dangerous an arachnid baby is

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They develop following the cycle: egg - larva - nymph - adult. Each stage of development is characterized by changes in appearance. Changes are especially indicative during the periods when the nymph of the tick is formed, and later - the adult.

What are ticks

There are many types of ticks. They differ from each other in appearance, for example, body size, also the type of food, life span.

By type of food

There are several classifications that divide these arthropods into classes. For example, they are divided according to the type of food into:

  • saprophages;
  • predators.
Saprophages live in the soil, feed on the remains of organic matter. In the process of consumption, they help form humus, the top fertile soil layer. Among saprophages, the most famous species are dust and barn mites. They do not harm humans, but plants and crops.
Predators are parasites. Often, a person bitten by a tick becomes ill, since the saliva of these arthropods, which enters the wound during a bite, contains pathogenic bacteria. In addition, animals suffer from parasitic mites: in the absence of timely treatment, the worst outcome is possible.

By species

Also, ticks are divided by type. This classification often depends on the lifespan and mode of feeding of a particular group of arthropods.

There are also such types of mites as subcutaneous, ear, dust. Some of them are microscopic, not dangerous to humans, some cause discomfort, and some bring serious illness.

Features of reproduction of ticks

Life cycle of ticks.

Life cycle of ticks.

There are many types of ticks, but their development cycle is often the same. At the beginning of summer, the female, having eaten her fill before this, lays her eggs. Ticks are fertile, with 1000 to 2500 eggs at a time.

After 1-2 weeks, larvae 1 mm in size hatch from them. This is how about 80% of ticks reproduce.

But there are also viviparous species. An example is a pot-bellied tick: a female finds and drinks a caterpillar to death, and after 2-7 days gives birth to larvae that feed on her own blood. The female dies, and the larvae look for a host to start feeding.

What does a tick larva look like?

The type of tick larvae is the same in almost all species of this arthropod.

The larvae hatch from eggs with three pairs of legs, a short body, and no bristles or carapace.

More than half of them die due to lack of prey. The rest find a prey or the elements necessary for nutrition, feed for about seven days until they molt for the first time.

After that, the larva becomes a nymph. At this stage, the tick develops a fourth pair of legs and setae, and the size of the body and speed of movement increase: these features distinguish the nymph from the larva.

Stages of development and life cycle of nymphs

The most difficult stage in the development of the tick is the nymph. The period when the tick is not yet an adult with the possibility of reproduction, but has already ceased to be a larva with its colorless color, three pairs of legs, lack of bristles, and a small body size. The body of the nymph is longer than the larvae. Now she feeds on larger animals: she can drink the blood of a squirrel or a bird sitting in tall grass. This the development period takes place in 3 stages.

Protonymph

The fourth pair of legs appears, on them there are several setae (4–7), also a genital opening and genital tentacles, which in the future will serve for reproduction. At this stage, they are not yet functional.

Deutonymph

The number of bristles increases, they become more functional and useful in terms of touch. Special genital bristles and 2 pairs of new genital tentacles appear.

Tritonymph

The color of the shell with which the tick is covered darkens, the shell covers become thicker. Another pair of genital tentacles appears, and bristles on the limbs are finally formed.

Each stage helps the tick prepare for future reproduction and increases the chance of survival.

How to distinguish a nymph from an adult tick

IndexDescription
dimensionsWhen the nymph becomes an adult, imago, its size increases from 1 to 5 mm.
CorpuscleThe covers of the body become darker and stronger, the bristles on them fully perceive what is happening around.
OrgansAll organ systems are ready for hunting, searching for prey and reproduction.
DeadlinesArthropods that live 2 years or more develop slowly and become adults after 2–4 months, sometimes after 6 months. Others go through the entire cycle in one month.
ImagoThe stage when the arthropod is considered an adult, imago, does not last long, until the female lays her eggs in a suitable place. It can be any comfortable environment, from the soil to the organism of the host-carrier of the tick.

What are dangerous larvae and nymphs of ticks

The size of the larvae of ticks that were born is 1 mm. These creatures are inactive, it is not easy for them to find the first victim. As soon as they are born, they begin to look for food in the first hours. This makes them dangerous to animals in the forest.

What to do if a nymph bites a tick

If a tick has bitten, there is no need to panic, it is often not dangerous. But it must be removed from the body as soon as possible, because this reduces the likelihood that a person will get sick after a bite. When a person notices a seal on the body and realizes that it is a tick, one should act immediately.

Squeezing out the parasite with your hands will not lead to anything, so the wound will only become more serious.

In order to pull out the tick, you should use sunflower oil.

  1. Pour it over the bite and wait a bit. This will close the arthropod's breathing holes and it will be easy to remove it.
  2. Once removed, the tick should be taken to a hospital lab to see if it was contagious.
  3. Even if the bitten person feels well, it is necessary to conduct an analysis in the laboratory, because diseases may not manifest themselves for decades.

However, sometimes after a tick bite, a person sees that he is already beginning to have health problems. If the bitten:

  • dizziness and headache;
  • redness appeared at the site of the bite;
  • red spots formed;
  • there was a breakdown and insomnia.

Then you need to immediately go to the hospital. Some types of mites provoke the appearance of allergic reactions and edema. In difficult cases, people who decide to rely on chance can be seriously injured.

Means of protection against nymphs and ticks

If a person takes care in advance to prevent an arthropod bite, then he will avoid problems. When spring comes and ticks are looking for prey, you should not walk through the forest or tall grass in short sleeves. Clothing will not allow the tick to gain a foothold on the skin, it is easier to shake it off.

You can also protect yourself with protective sprays and ointments. They need to be sprayed and smeared on exposed areas of the skin, for example, wrists, ankles, neck.

In addition, they do an excellent job natural ingredients, because in the house you can not spray chemical repellents. Natural oils with the smell of mint or cloves will help: they will scare away parasites, and they will give a person peace and confidence that you don’t have to worry about bites.

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Comments
  1. Julia

    Thank you very much for a very informative and helpful article! The only moment - I subtracted one typo - “the size of the nymph when saturated is no more than 30mm ...” “No more than 3mm” should appear in the text.

    1 year ago
  2. Uncle Fedor

    “In order to pull out a tick, you should use sunflower oil” - Are you crazy ??? If smeared with something, it will begin to choke and a gag reflex will be caused in the tick. This greatly increases the risk of infection.

    1 year ago

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