A tick-like beetle: how to distinguish dangerous "vampires" from other pests

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An ignorant person, seeing an insect that looks like a tick, may mistake it for a dangerous parasite. But among such insects there are not only bloodsuckers dangerous to humans. There are species that feed only on plants, or parasites that bite a person only for the purpose of protection. There are also harmless insects that even benefit nature and people.

Content

What real ticks look like
- Features of the structure
- The main types of ticks
Arthropods and tick-like insects
Protection from intruders and preventive measures

What real ticks look like

Many people mistakenly think that the tick is an insect, but in fact it is a class of arachnids. It can be seen that in some features of the body structure and behavior, mites resemble spiders.

Features of the structure

The characteristics of mites may vary, depending on the species, but most have similar building features:

size from 0,2 to 5 mm;
the body is oval, convex, sometimes tapering at one edge;
all ticks have 4 pairs of paws, and developing larvae have 3 pairs;
the organ of vision is absent or weak, it is replaced by sensitive receptors;
bloodsuckers are brown in different shades, and species that parasitize plants are bright colors: yellow, green, blue and red.

The main types of ticks

Ticks are the most numerous group of their class. There are over 54 species of these arachnids. You should familiarize yourself with at least a few species that are more common than others in order to know whether these arthropods pose a danger to humans.

Type of tick	Characterization
ixodid	This is the same parasite that a person encounters in the warm season. This species lives in forests, parks and in dense grass. Both animals and people become its victims. With the help of long forelimbs, the tick clings to the hair of the inhabitants of the forest or the clothes of a person, and then moves through the body and, when it finds the most delicate area of the skin, begins to feed.
argasovy	A bloodsucker that feeds on the blood of domestic animals, birds, small and large livestock, and sometimes people. Instead of a shell, which is present in some species, it has a soft cover that resembles skin. The head of the tick is located near the inside of the body, so it is almost invisible. This parasite can be found in building crevices, bird nests and chicken coops. The bite of the argasid mite is quite painful and itchy due to its toxic saliva.
Gamazovy	Parasite, the size of which does not exceed 2,5 mm. It mainly feeds on the blood of birds and small animals, but can also bite humans. The tick lives in animal dwellings, burrows and nests. From its bites, birds can scratch the skin, which leads to loss of feathers.
Subcutaneous	It is a worm-shaped parasite that lives on the skin of humans and some mammals. Its dimensions are from 0,2 to 0,5 mm. This type of mites inhabits the eyebrows, eyes and sebaceous ducts of the skin (to feed on sebum). The presence of several individuals per 1 cm2 is the norm, but if the parasite multiplies strongly, undesirable consequences may appear: allergies, acne, blepharitis and conjunctivitis.
Barn	A pest that feeds on grain, flour and cereals. It has an almost transparent body, sizes - from 0,2 to 0,5 mm. This mite is capable of spoiling large stocks of grain. Once ingested with food, it can cause an allergic reaction.
Spiderweb	It is a plant parasite that poses no danger to humans, animals and birds. These are very small pests, their size is about half a millimeter. These mites feed on plant sap, causing damage to gardens, kitchen gardens and indoor flowers. On infected leaves, you can see a very thin web with many reddish dots, which are mites. Because of these pests, the leaves of the plant gradually dry out, and it may die.
Water or sea	A predator that lives in fresh stagnant water, and sometimes in salt water. Their body has a rounded shape, and the hind limbs are longer than the rest to provide better movement in the water. Its victims are small aquatic inhabitants. The tick pierces the body of its prey and injects a special poison, after which it sucks it out. For humans, this aquatic arachnid is harmless.

The listed types of ticks that feed on human blood are dangerous, as they carry serious diseases: encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever, plague, typhoid, tularemia, Lyme disease and others.

Arthropods and tick-like insects

Some species of insects and arthropods, due to their appearance or their bites, can be confused with ticks, especially if you encounter them for the first time.

It is important to distinguish one parasite from another in order to properly deal with them and be able to protect yourself.

Some of them cause even more problems than ticks, and some, on the contrary, benefit a person.

Common fleas

Common fleas are blood-sucking parasites that prey on both animals and humans. Long hind limbs, allowing them to jump to a height of about a meter, distinguish them from other bloodsuckers. The size of the insect depends on the species and can range from 1 to 5 mm, the maximum size is 10 mm. Their body is dark brown in color. Fleas get from the street into a person’s apartment, being on pet hair or clothes, and also penetrate from neighbors. Contrary to popular belief, fleas do not live in the fur of their prey. They jump on animals to get food, and prefer to live in the secluded places of the apartment, where they also lay eggs: in the cracks of the floor, behind the plinth, in the bedding of a pet, in cluttered areas. To bite through the skin, bloodsuckers have a special mouth apparatus. The bites of these parasites look like red spots with a darker center, reminiscent of mosquito bites, located several times nearby. Severe itching appears at the site of the bite. Fleas, like ticks, can be carriers of serious diseases: plague, anthrax, encephalitis, and can also infect with helminths.

Deer bloodsucker

The deer bloodsucker (elk fly or elk tick) has some similarities with the tick. A person who first encounters it can easily confuse these two parasites and even think that there are ticks with wings. The deer bloodsucker, unlike the tick, is an insect from the Diptera family. You can easily distinguish this fly from other parasites if you study the features of its structure. The main insect is two transparent wings located on the sides of the body, the size of the bloodsucker is 5 mm, and its abdomen increases after saturation with blood or during gestation, the fly has a large head with small antennae, there is an organ of vision, thanks to which it distinguishes the contours of large objects, the bloodsucker has six legs, while the tick has eight. This parasite has a wide range of habitats. It can be found in the forests where its main source of food is located - wild animals: deer, elk, roe deer, wild boars, bears. A hungry bloodsucker can also attack livestock and even humans. The insect flies over short distances. On her paws there are claws with which she clings to the wool or hair of the victim. Having fixed on the body, the parasite sheds its wings, so it becomes like a tick. With the help of a special proboscis, the fly pierces the skin and drinks the blood. Its bite affects people in different ways. Pain and itching may be felt in the affected area. Susceptible people may develop malaise or dermatitis. Also, an insect can be a carrier of dangerous diseases, such as Lyme disease.

Bedbug

If ticks can be found in nature, then the main environment for the life of bed bugs is a person’s apartment. Bed bugs are 6 to 8 mm insects that feed on the blood of humans or pets, which is less common. They are not able to fly or jump, but move quickly enough, passing about a meter in a minute. The body of the parasite is oval and brown in color, which changes to dark red if the bug is saturated with blood. It has 3 pairs of limbs and sensitive antennae on its head. During the day, insects hide in furniture, bed linen and various interior items, and at night they go hunting. The bed bug attacks systematically, after one attack a person is left with a series of bites. At the same time, several individuals can bite a person during the night. The bite sites are usually red and itchy, and in some cases an allergic reaction may occur. It is difficult to get rid of these parasites, but a well-fed bug can die from light pressure on the body, so a person in his bed in the morning can find these insects dead.

true spiders

Despite the fact that true spiders and mites belong to the same class, they are easy to distinguish from each other. True spiders are one of the most numerous species in the arachnid class. They have 8 legs, just like ticks. The limbs are much longer than the body. The convex body consists of a cephalothorax and abdomen, its size varies depending on the species. Spiders have the organ of vision. Both the tick and the spider find victims as a result of passive hunting: they do not pursue, but wait. As you know, to catch an insect, true spiders weave a web. The source of their food is insects, large species are able to hunt birds, and they can bite a person only for the purpose of protection. Small spiders that a person finds in an apartment are not dangerous, since they are not even able to bite through the skin, but we must not forget that there are also poisonous representatives of this class. The spider benefits both man, ridding his house of pests, and nature, controlling the number of insects.

book false scorpion

The book false scorpion (from the order of false scorpions) is similar to a tick only in that it is also a representative of the arachnid class. These creatures have an impressive appearance due to the pair of claws that are part of the mouth apparatus, making them easy to distinguish from parasites. To view a false scorpion, you need a magnifying glass, because its dimensions do not exceed 4 mm. This arachnid has an oval brown body and 8 legs. In some species, the organ of vision is absent, in others it is rather weak, so false scorpions have sensitive receptors. They live in places with a sufficient number of small pests, which are a source of food for them. They can be found in old buildings, nests and dwellings of animals, in places where old things are stored, where they will not be disturbed by people. For a person, a book false scorpion does not pose any danger, but rather benefits. The arachnid destroys small pests: insects that spoil books, bed bugs, dust mites, and so on.

body lice

Body lice are human parasites. These are insects with a transparent oval brown body up to 6 mm in size. He has 6 limbs. Parasites live from 30 to 45 days. Unlike ticks, this type of lice does not parasitize a person, but only bites him. They live in the folds and pile of clothes, they lay their eggs there. From clothes, lice easily get on the skin to get enough blood, this happens several times a day. Their oral apparatus consists of a proboscis with piercing needles. Saliva contains substances that prevent blood clotting and painkillers. Bites look like wounds, can heal for a long time and itch a lot. You can get body lice from other people. These parasites can cause an allergic reaction and carry diseases.

Gadfly larvae

Gadflies lay their eggs in the fur of animals, but sometimes a fly can settle the larvae under the skin of a person. Gadfly can be found in countries with a tropical climate. The grown gadfly larva has a length of about 20 mm, its body has a light color. The moment of its penetration under the skin is painless and imperceptible. The parasite is firmly fixed in the tissues of the body due to special barbs. To develop, the larva feeds on blood, while releasing substances that cause pain, due to which a person may develop skin myiasis. There are cases when the larva penetrated the eyeball, which led to loss of vision. After 3-4 months, the parasite leaves the body of the animal or human. After a gadfly larva is found under the skin, it is removed surgically.

Beetle kozheed

This tick-like insect is a member of the order Coleoptera. The beetle has an oval-shaped body with a length of 1,3 to 12 mm. On the small head of the pest there are short antennae. The color depends on the species. Unlike mites, this beetle likes high temperatures and low humidity. These insects cause serious damage, damaging museum collections. The food source of the kozheed beetle is leather, fur, wool, feathers, book bindings, some products (meat, cheese). Cases when an insect bites a person are rare, since the beetle is not a blood-sucking parasite.

Little red bugs

For small red bugs, a person can take one of the types of ticks - the red beetle. The length of the arthropod is 10 - 15 mm. The body is red in color and covered with villi. Found all over the world. The red tick is not a parasite of humans and does not cause harm. It can eat plant foods and parasitize other insects. A tick can only bite a person in defense. If you crush an arthropod, it will leave a red stain due to their pigment.

Protection from intruders and preventive measures

Blood-sucking parasites can infect a person with serious diseases, and pests can destroy indoor plants and entire crops. If you properly deal with insects similar to ticks and ticks themselves and take preventive measures, you can protect yourself.

From ticks that parasitize on humans, closed clothing that you need to wear for a walk in the park and forest will protect. Clothing should be light in color so that ticks can be easily spotted. You can apply special means against bloodsuckers (repellants) to the skin. After the walk, you need to examine the body.
You can prevent the appearance of body lice if you wash your clothes on time. If the parasite still appears, you should wash your clothes in boiling water or treat with special substances.
Fleas in animals are removed with shampoos and poisonous agents, which must be purchased only in specialized stores so as not to harm the pet. To protect the animal from the appearance of parasites, you can regularly comb out the coat.
Cleaning the dust in the room will help against dust mites. Regular cleaning will prevent the appearance of many other parasites.
To combat various pests, you can disinfect the premises.
A plant infected with pests should be treated with an insecticide. Also, for prevention, it is necessary to treat the summer cottage or garden with special means.
You can remove insects from the house with a vacuum cleaner. The used trash bag must be taken out so that the pests do not get out.
To prevent insects from entering the room, cracks should be sealed, and screens and sticky traps should be installed on the windows.

Respecting not complicated preventive measures, will succeed prevent the serious consequences of meeting with bloodsuckers and pests. Useful arachnids are best not to destroy, because they will also help fight parasites.

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