Ixodida
Ixodida (ticks)
The group is a suborder under the order of Parasitiformes. The members of this group are temporary, blood-sucking ectoparasites of mammals, birds and reptiles. The body consists of the frontal capitulum and the main body (idiosoma) which has four pairs of legs. Each leg has 6 clearly defined segments and 2 claws at the end. The capitulum has a terminal structure, the hypostome, which functions as anchoring structure and often contains lateral hooks. During feeding, the tick creates a wound in the skin with its chelicerae and attaches itself to the host with its hypostome. The mouth which lies under the hypostome then sucks up the blood.
Synonyms:
Metastigmata
The following families are currently included under Ixodida (ticks):
