ID#: 10869
Caption:
This photograph depicts a dorsal view of both a female (Lt), and male Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni. This tick species is a known North American vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, which is the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Note the smaller size of the female’s scutum compared to the male’s larger scutum. From the Latin word for shield, the scutum covers only a small part of the female’s dorsal surface, thereby, enabling her abdomen to expand, becoming engorged during feeding. The male’s scutum covers his entire dorsal surface, and is mottled with brown markings overall, while the female’s small scutum exhibits a a cream-colored surface.
High Resolution: Click here for hi-resolution image (54.03 MB)
Content Provider(s): CDC/ Dr. Christopher Paddock
Creation Date: 2008
Photo Credit: James Gathany
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Copyright Restrictions: None - This image is in the public domain and thus free of any copyright restrictions.