Paralysis ticks

麻痹蜱的生命周期

The natural hosts of Ixodes holocyclus include bandicoots, wallabies, kangaroos, and other marsupials. They are basically immune to the effects of the tick’s toxin. Other species affected are humans, cattle, sheep, horses, dogs, cats, poultry, and other animals. The Ixodes tick goes through three stages; Larva (6 legs), Nymph (8 legs), and Adult (8 legs). They attach to and feed on one host during each stage. After that, they are falling off and moulting before re-attaching to the same or more often a different host for the next stage.

如果没有宿主，成虫可以在不进食的情况下存活长达 77 天。
雌性成虫进食和吞食 6 天（凉爽的天气）至 21 天
(warmer weather), before she drops to the ground to lay eggs. Beginning the cycle again. It is important to note that the adult female does not inject detectable amounts of toxin until the 3rd day of attachment to the host. Peak amounts being injected on days 5 and 6. Conversely, the adult male after crawling onto the host does not attach or suck blood but spends its time wandering around on the host looking for a female with which it can mate. The adult male is yellowish-brown, flat, oval, and smaller than the female.

麻痹蜱是什么样子的？

1. 中间的 2 对腿颜色较浅，不像布什蜱和棕狗蜱的腿颜色相同。
2. 双腿在身体前部“束起”。
3. 它们有一个很长的嘴部，称为“鼻子”。