The most dangerous types of ticks. Types of ticks - a neighborhood that we don't notice

Ticks belong to the spider family and number more than 850 species. Ticks pose the greatest danger as carriers of various infectious and viral diseases.

What do ticks look like?

Ticks do not use their mouthparts for breathing, but special spiracles located in the area of ​​the hind legs; they look like tubes.

In saturated ticks, the body becomes light gray, as can be seen in the photo.

Types of ticks

Ixodid ticks

Ticks of this species are the most common bloodsuckers in our area; they can often be found in mixed forests, fields, bushes and grass; they can hide on the bark of trees or simply on the ground. Ixodid ticks are carriers of diseases such as tick-borne borreliosis(Lyme disease), encephalitis, typhus and other unpleasant diseases. Ticks prefer humid and warm climates, so they can often be found in shaded areas near rivers and lakes.

Argasid mites

This type of tick differs from others in its soft black body with a brown rim. Argasid ticks attack their victims at night. These mites are found in caves, catacombs, burrows, and large cracks. Ticks of this species can live up to 14 years in the absence of food, and individual individuals can live up to 25 years, which significantly exceeds life cycle other types of ticks. For complete saturation, argasid ticks only need 30-50 minutes, and ixodid ticks can suck blood for up to 8 days. The size of these mites reaches up to 1 cm.

Subcutaneous mite

Tick ​​bites

If you don't have it at hand necessary equipment, you can use a thread tied in a loop. The loop is placed over the tick's head and pulled together with a gentle movement, after which the tick is gradually pulled and loosened until it comes out.

• Lyme disease;
• Tick-borne typhus;
• Tick-borne encephalitis;
• Tularemia;
• Babesiosis;
• Tick-borne rickettsiosis.

Some of these diseases are difficult to treat and may cause damage. nervous system organism, which, if not properly treated, can lead to death.

Ticks are a large subclass of arthropods, which includes more than 54 thousand species. These are mainly creatures up to 5 millimeters in size with six pairs of appendages and characteristic mouthparts. What are the types of ticks that pose a danger to humans?

Harmful representatives are distinguished by a variety of forms with a relatively small number of species. Ticks cause the greatest harm not through their bites, but through their consequences. The oral apparatus of these arthropods carries a large number of dangerous diseases - encephalitis, Lyme disease, plague, typhus, hemorrhagic fever and Q fever. Other species are provocateurs of skin diseases - scabies, demodicosis.

Dermancetoids can be distinguished from other mites by their characteristic coloring with brown stripes on the back.

If you find a large tick that has already drunk blood, it is recommended to carefully remove it and take it for analysis to any sanitary unit. This precaution will help you recognize diseases that may come with a bite in time.
Ixodes

In the literature you can find another name - the armored mite, so named for its strong chitinous coverings.

The arthropod is active in the spring and summer. It is rarely possible to avoid ixodid tick bites, so doctors recommend using special vaccines against encephalitis. You should worry about using it in advance - immunity appears only two weeks after the injection. But such a small precaution can protect you and your loved ones from a fatal disease.

Morphologically, several varieties of ixodid ticks are distinguished. The black mite loves dark, damp places. The characteristic color of its covers, as well as small size distinguishes it from other arthropods of this group.

White ixodid tick has a creamy, whitish belly. The closely related gray ixodid tick is best recognized. This is the type of tick that people most often find on themselves.

Argasovy

Gamazovy

In the literature it is found under the name demodex. Demodex is a normal inhabitant of human skin. Problems begin when it multiplies excessively due to a weakened immune system, poor nutrition, or taking antibiotics. Uncontrolled reproduction of mites manifests itself in the form of demodicosis. This is an acute inflammatory process on the integument, accompanied by severe itching, acne, and large areas of redness of the affected skin. Dermatologists treat subcutaneous mites.

Scabies

Ear

It is extremely rare in humans. The main hosts of this arthropod are cats and dogs. In them, this arthropod causes acute inflammation of the middle and outer ear, which without treatment can develop into otitis media or even meningitis.

Bed

Arachnoid

The representative is not harmful to humans and animals. Plants, including cultivated ones, suffer most from it. In plants, mites not only damage the integument and suck out nutritious juices from the roots, but are also carriers of extremely dangerous diseases.

Predatory

It is a very large arachnid arthropod that feeds on ticks. It is common where there are large numbers of dust mites. It is absolutely safe and even useful for humans. The predatory mite is a natural controller of populations of other microscopic arthropods.

Barn

Also found as flour or bread mites. Getting into the granary along with unprocessed grain or cereal residues, it feeds on both flour and finished products. The presence of eggs or adults in food can lead to allergic reactions and digestive disorders.

True quantity various types The number of ticks discovered and described by zoologists is thousands of times greater than the number known to the average inhabitant of the planet. If you ask any person to name the types of ticks known to him, then, most likely, he will remember only 2-3 names, in best case scenario- up to 5, and, rather, will name not specific species, but certain groups, varieties, corresponding to certain characteristics.

For example, almost all residents of Eurasia are well aware of ixodid ticks - the very ones among which carriers are found tick-borne encephalitis, fatal dangerous disease. Many people also know about scabies (and not only those who themselves suffered from scabies), and gardeners and flower growers are well aware of spider mites. These types, as well as dust mites and red mites, perhaps, represent the entire “set” known to the general public.

For example, the photo below shows the well-known dog tick, the main carrier of tick-borne encephalitis in the European part of Russia:

And this creature with a difficult-to-describe body shape is an itch itch (photo taken using a microscope):

Today, science has described more than 54 thousand species of mites, and their number is constantly increasing due to the discovery of new representatives of this group of arthropods, many of which are microscopically small in size. Scientists estimate that there are about a million different species of ticks on Earth, and they have yet to be named.

On a note

By species diversity Mites even surpass the order of spiders - the latter number just over 42 thousand species.

Compared to the number of living species of ticks studied, not many fossil forms have been described - about 150. This is partly due to the fact that the remains of ticks that lived in previous eras are difficult to find and identify. In addition, there is a hypothesis that this group of arthropods is currently experiencing its heyday - living conditions on modern Earth are optimal for ticks, and this contributes to active speciation in many of their genera and families.

However, in reality, most ticks are completely harmless to people and animals. The most extensive groups in terms of the number of species are saprophagous mites that live in the soil and feed on decaying debris dead plants and animals. These creatures are extremely useful for biocenoses, and not only do not harm, but also bring great benefits to natural ecosystems and agriculture.

On a note

Mites (Acari) are grouped into a large subclass of the Arachnida class. It is interesting that the spiders themselves form an order in this class, and among mites, scientists have identified several different orders, and therefore a subclass had to be formed to unite them.

The diversity of mites is exceptional even for the phylum arthropods. Among them there are both microscopically small forms, distinguishable only under a microscope, and animals with a body size of up to 10 mm (especially after saturation). They have very varied colors, various shapes bodies and very effective and bizarre adaptations for their lifestyle. No wonder that general characteristics this subclass is not so easy to give.

The photo below shows the Argas mite:

Ticks live in a wide variety of biotopes - from dry steppes to tropical forests, from earthen litter to carpets in apartments. There are even known species that live under water. They inhabit the upper layers of the soil in huge numbers, where sometimes hundreds of individuals are found in 1 cm3 of soil.

A significant problem is the classification of all this diversity of species. As a rule, they are divided into groups according to anatomy, various physiological characteristics and lifestyle. Groups of the same order (taxa) are included in higher associations, as a result, orders and families are formed, each of which is characterized by certain characteristics of their representatives.

This division is very arbitrary. The taxonomy of the subclass is constantly being revised, and many experts offer their own options for dividing the group into subgroups. In particular, it is popular to distinguish harvest mites as a superorder for their very specific structure.

The photo below shows the harvest mite (Opilioacarus segmentatus):

This superorder is notable for the fact that it includes the most famous ticks among the people - the ixodid ticks, the same ones that urban residents of central Eurasia are terrified of because individual representatives of some of their species can be infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus and, when bitten, can infect a person with it. . Since this disease is deadly, intensive care is required after infection, but reliable prevention of the disease is quite difficult.

Another interesting feature of this group is its very low representation in paleontological remains. The reason for this gap in the evolutionary record is not fully understood, but it is precisely this that makes it difficult to trace the developmental path of this group of mites. Some soil gamas mites are considered to be the closest to the original forms, and the most highly developed are various predatory forms of the same group. Although it is not entirely correct to speak unequivocally about the evolutionary superiority of one group over another.

On a note

It is incorrect to talk about saprophytic mites. Saprophytes include only microorganisms - bacteria or single-celled fungi. Mites that feed on decaying organic matter are called saprophages. It is also incorrect to call mites saprotrophs - the fundamental difference between saprotrophs and saprophages is that saprotrophs do not leave behind solid waste products (excrement) after feeding, while saprophages do.

A remarkable group in this superorder is the uropod mites, which mainly inhabit the soil. Among them are:

This is interesting

Most epidemiologically significant species are:

Tick-borne encephalitis is carried by several other types of ticks: Ixodes pavlovskyi, Haemaphysalis concinna, Dermatocentor marginatus and others. There are only 14 species, outwardly quite similar to each other, and in some cases it is extremely difficult to identify them (especially when it comes to immature individuals). For this reason, the common name has stuck among the people - “ Tick-borne Encephalitis", which sometimes also applies to those species of ixodids that do not carry the virus, but look similar to the true carriers.

On a note

Notable among them, for example, are the myrmecophilous mites Antennophoridae, which live in anthills, attach to the lower part of the ants' heads and feed on food debris remaining on the ants' jaws. The photo below shows a corresponding example:

Gamasid saprophagous mites in huge numbers inhabit the corpses of animals and insects, excrement, and other organic remains. It is noteworthy that these species settle on various carrion insects. For example, if you lightly tap a dried crust of manure with a stick, simulating the touch of a fly or rat, hundreds of macrochelys or califora mites instantly appear on the surface of the crust, ready to grab onto the insect and then “fly” with it to a new food substrate.

The photo shows a scarab beetle covered in mites:

The tracing name of this group from Latin is thyroglyphoid mites. The group received its Russian-language name because its representatives very often settle and reproduce in huge quantities in storage facilities for agricultural products. Here different types They feed on grain, husks, molds, and animal products.

This is interesting

The most notable among barn mites are the following:

• Flour mite, damaging flour, starch, bran, various grain processing products;
  
• Cheese mite, which is often found in long-stored cheeses;
• Sugar mite, which damages sugar and the raw materials for its production;
  
• Wine mite that settles on the surface of wine if the container with it is not hermetically sealed;
• Bulb mite, a pest of onion, potato, garlic, and beet stocks.
  

All of them lead to damage and deterioration in the quality of stored products.

Itching

This is interesting

The passages of scabies can sometimes be seen under the skin with the naked eye - they look like a mesh of lines.

The larvae emerging from the eggs feed on the epidermis in the maternal passages for some time, turn into nymphs, crawl to the surface of the skin, where the males turn into adults and mate with immature females. After this, the females bite into the skin and begin to make their own passages.

The vital activity of scabies causes severe itching in a person - the disease itself is called scabies. Likewise, mange can occur in cats, dogs, rats and many other animals.

Zheleznitsy

Ironweeds are very specific mites. At least according to appearance They are very different from other ticks because they have an elongated back part of the body, similar to a tail. Moreover, their length together with such a “tail” is no more than 0.3-0.4 mm.

These mites are most interesting because they constantly live on the human body. Of these, the two most common types are:

1. Demodex folliculorum - lives most of the time in hair follicles;
2. Demodex brevis - inhabits the sebaceous glands, the secretion of which is excreted into the hair follicles.

Both species feed on gland secretions and normally do not harm humans. However, when they multiply profusely, they can cause demodicosis - a dermatological disease in which the skin peels off, foci of inflammation develop and itching occurs.

According to research, these ticks are widespread - almost 100% of the planet's population is infected with them. And precisely due to the fact that infestation by them practically does not manifest itself in any way, most people do not even know about such infection, just as they do not know about the existence of the ironworts themselves.

The so-called dust mites (Dermatophagoides sp.)

This group includes several species of very small mites that have adapted to living in human housing and feeding on exfoliating skin particles present in household dust.

It is known that each person loses approximately 1.5 g of dry dead epidermis per day - this is what these creatures consume as food. Moreover, this amount of “food” is quite enough for the existence of an entire population indoors.

This is interesting

Today, the ability of dust mites to feed, including mold fungi, has been discovered.

Due to their microscopic size, dust mites can settle inside mattresses and upholstery upholstered furniture, from where it is almost impossible to expel them. They inhabit carpets, crevices behind baseboards, and dust in the corners of rooms in large quantities, and therefore fighting them in most cases is a difficult task.

The photo below shows a Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus dust mite in a carpet:

At the same time, dust mites can cause severe allergies. It is believed that most cases of asthma develop in response to constant inhalation of air that contains dust from the excrement and chitinous coverings of these creatures. Excrement contains specific digestive proteins that cause sensitization in humans.

Types of spider mites that harm agriculture

Perhaps, of all the mites that are pests Agriculture, arachnids are the most famous.

Firstly, they are diverse and there are more than 1200 known species. Secondly, they are very versatile in nutrition. The type species of this family is the common spider mite- distributed throughout the world and affects at least about 200 plant species. Moreover, these 200 species are only those that are known to scientists. Perhaps the diet of this tick is even more varied. It is capable of hitting most garden crops grown in middle lane Russia, but most of all it affects cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, bell pepper and strawberries.

Its relatives are less versatile, but no less harmful. Garden, hawthorn, citrus and other mites of this group are considered a real disaster in gardens and vegetable gardens.

Finally, spider mites cause serious damage to plants, significantly reducing the yield of fields and gardens. In addition, mites infect flowers and trees in natural habitats.

On a note

This group of pests got its name because, when infecting plants, mites entangle their habitat with a thick web, in which, as if in a shelter, they feed and reproduce.

It is not surprising that spider mites are actively being fought, and the most effective and rational way to destroy them is to involve other mites in this...

Enemies of spider mites - phytoseiulus

Phytoseiulus is the largest family of gamasid mites. There are more than 2000 species, the vast majority of which are voracious predators that destroy many small invertebrates.

In this group, Phytoseiulus persimilis has the greatest economic importance, which is used in biological control with spider mites. One adult of this predator eats up to 20 adult spider mites, their eggs and larvae per day, and the more intensively it feeds, the more eggs it lays and the more equally voracious larvae and nymphs are then born.

On a note

Phytoseiulus feed not only on spider mites, but also thrips, nematodes and some other harmful invertebrates. Therefore, their use in biological control is considered an integrated method of plant protection.

Today in Europe there are already nurseries for growing phytoseiulus, which are sold in batches to greenhouses and garden farms. Here they are released onto plants, and within a few weeks their numbers grow rapidly due to a decrease in the number of spider mites. This is possible without insecticides and other chemicals protect the harvest.

Red mites and other predatory species

Perhaps every person has seen these ticks. They are found in large numbers in spring and early summer under stones in the forest or in vegetable gardens, where they move smoothly, as if “swimming” along the ground in search of their victims - small insects and other mites.

In Japan and on the islands Pacific Ocean These ticks carry the causative agent of tsutsugamushi fever.

Representatives of this group are of economic importance because they can cause serious diseases in poultry.

Normally, these mites are commensals and do not lead to severe consequences for birds. They settle in feather stumps and feed on their walls. Each feather forms its own colony, from which mites can move to neighboring feathers.

Wild birds usually carry out some hygiene procedures to help control the number of these mites, and a significant part of these “hosts” die during molting. However, when birds are kept in cramped enclosures, mites multiply here in huge numbers, cause itching, inflammation, and breaking off feathers, which is why the birds do not gain the required weight and even die.

Oribatid ticks as carriers of helminth infections

Oribatids are generally considered useful pliers, involved in the formation of soils. Millions of them can live in one cubic decimeter of forest soil - they constantly eat the remains of plants and animals and turn them into a substrate assimilated by plants.

The ability of oribatids to spread helminth eggs is important. Thus, some species of this group of mites eat the eggs of tapeworms of the Anoplocephalata family, after which the larvae hatch from the eggs in their bodies, and then the mites themselves and the plants are eaten by large cattle. Already in the digestive tract of the animal, the ticks die, and the helminth larvae are released and burrow into the intestinal epithelium, causing monieziosis. This disease leads to a slowdown in the growth of young cows, sheep, goats, a decrease in milk yield and sometimes even to the death of animals.

The photo shows a winged tick of the Galumnidae family, a carrier of helminth infections in cattle:

In conclusion, we note that even the main groups of mites are difficult to examine even briefly. However, the above information is already enough to roughly imagine the diversity and huge number of varieties of ticks, as well as their significance for ecosystems and human life.

Not all ticks known to science are dangerous to people and pets. For our latitudes, protection against the families of ixodid and argasid ticks, which are representatives of the same order of arachnids - Ixodida, is relevant.

They are the ones who are capable of attacking humans, animals, birds and even reptiles, choosing their blood for their own saturation, development and reproduction.

Argasid and ixodid ticks

Often, a tick infects its victim with pathogens of several diseases at once.

Of the 200 species of representatives of argasid bloodsuckers in our latitudes, only 3 can pose a danger with their bites to warm-blooded animals, including humans:

• settlement - lives on domestic farm animals, as well as dogs and cats, but is also found on wild rodents, birds, small ungulates, does not neglect human blood;
• concha - inhabitant mainly of pigeon nests, but can feed on the blood of other birds, attaches itself to humans in extreme hunger;
• Caucasian - rages closer to the southern regions, attacks people.

As for ixodids, out of 650 species known to scientists for our continent, 2 species show aggression towards animals and humans:

• taiga - the main range is traditionally based closer to the north and Asia, covering the taiga zone, and completely extends beyond it, including the Arkhangelsk region, due to the migration of ticks on temporary hosts;
• canine (European) - has received its basic distribution on the European part of our continent, but its range has shifted significantly towards Asia, right up to Kamchatka.

For your information! For the lion's share of Russian residents, there is a high chance of encountering both ixodid and argasid bloodsuckers, so it is important to understand them and know what ticks of both species look like.

What do argas mites look like?

Important! Therefore, it is very difficult to notice on the body a tick that has not had enough to drink, crawling along clothes or on the body in search of a convenient place to dig into the skin and suck blood. But the already bloated and well-fed one, embedded under the skin, is easy to notice. Be careful after walking!

What do ixodid ticks look like?

External differences between the sexes are pronounced - the female looks different, there is practically no similarity upon visual examination.

For your information! The size of a well-fed male does not reach the size of a hungry female. And although it attaches itself rarely and only for a short time, due to its microscopic size it is difficult to detect it even when drunk and well-fed, unlike a bloated, drunk female.

Nature does not always treat humans favorably, despite the fact that many associate it with immortal beauty. There are a huge number of creatures in the world, causing fear, hostility, irritation in people: spiders, worms, mosquitoes, ticks.

The latter make our hearts beat faster, especially when we see them on own body. Over its long life, this arthropod has been able to weave many myths around itself, some of which are partly true. Main question– are there white ticks? We are used to thinking of them as something dark and small, but there are some types of ticks that have a light body.

The white mite is unknown to science, but in nature it is found quite often.

There are the following types:

• ixodid tick;
• dusty;
• arachnoid;
• scabies.

Important: some subspecies can be dark in color (from burgundy to dark brown), but if there is a light pattern on the back, then it can be conditionally classified as white.

This species should be given special attention, since the ixodid tick is often a carrier of terrible diseases. The Ixodida species is one of the largest; representatives can often reach more than 1 cm in length, with females being larger than males.

The body is a flat, bag-shaped oval, to which the legs and proboscis grow, often mistaken for the head. It remains flat until the tick gets drunk; after eating, the body has a streamlined round egg shape. Unlike other types, it does not consist of a cephalothorax and abdomen. The arachnid's brain is located in its abdomen.

Color can vary from light burgundy to earthy brown. There is a "pattern" on the back white with dark inclusions, sometimes the color of the pattern may be closer to sand. Ixodida from tropical habitats have bright colors.

An adult has 8 legs equipped with suction cups for moving along vertical and horizontal surfaces, this is its advantage over other arachnids. When a tick senses danger, it tucks its paws under itself and pretends to be dead.

IN ordinary life A large white tick hides on plant leaves to attack its prey unnoticed. A characteristic pose for an attack is an extended front pair of legs, prepared to jump on a person. Thanks to the spikes and teeth on the body, it can easily move around the victim and look for a place to suck blood.

Female ixodid ticks lay 17,000 eggs during their life cycle (up to two years) and raise them in the ground.

The most common Ixodida species found in temperate countries are:

• forest;
• taiga;
• village;
• canine (after drinking blood, it turns snow-white).

It is difficult to notice such a mite on a person, as it looks like a pimple or wen. Most of the “victims” are trying to squeeze out, to get rid of the “festering”, this aggravates the situation. The proboscis of the arthropod comes off and remains in the skin, causing redness and itching.

Dust consists of dead pieces of skin, dirt, sand and even microscopically small animals. Dust mites are an unexpected guest in apartments, and it is almost impossible to get rid of them. Historically, this white mite was brought into the home by domestic animals and has not been removed until now. Modern scientists have identified more than 150 species of dust mites.

The body length of dermatophagoides pteronyssimus does not exceed half a centimeter; most often, adult individuals measure 0.2-0.3 millimeters.

The appearance resembles a white, transparent spider with four pairs of legs with suction cups that allow it to “stick” to any surface, so you cannot remove ticks from the apartment with a vacuum cleaner. When cleaning in especially dusty places, you must use a cloth and a soap solution with special products.

For humans and animals white small tick, living in dust, is almost harmless, since it is a saprophyte, that is, it eats dead remains of vital activity. However, it tends to cause allergic reactions and enter the respiratory tract.

Ear mite

This type of tick concerns pet owners. Some cat owners do not understand why brown dirt accumulates in the ears of their pets, which causes a lot of inconvenience for the pets themselves and their owners. The point is the most common cat and dog disease - ear scabies.

Length adult ear mites – from 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm. It has a light, translucent, white or yellowish oblong body with six legs and small antennae.

With its negative vital activity, the white-body tick causes inflammation of the ears, excessive secretion of wax and even deafness in the animal, so at the first sign you should contact a specialist for help. Treatment for ear scabies does not take much time; the veterinarian will prescribe the necessary remedies that will easily remove white mites from a dog or cat.

Spider mite

The spider mite is a small animal, not exceeding 6 millimeters in size. Coloring can change under the influence of many factors: habitat, nutrition, climate, etc. Most often, white spider mites are light green, white, or orange in color.

Ticks live in "flocks" on back side plant leaves between window frames, in the soil and weave a web around their place of residence. They feed on juice by sucking it out of plants. The “bite” area becomes covered with a light film and dries out. In addition to such harm, it carries infections: gray rot And viral diseases ornamental plants.

You can get rid of unwanted guests on indoor and garden flowers using an anti-mite product, sold at any hardware store.

It is difficult to get rid of a food pest, especially when it is impossible to notice it due to its size and color. The flour mite is approximately 2-4 mm in length, it has a white body and brown legs.

If you notice white-bellied mites in flour, you need to urgently inspect the cereals and bulk products and find the place where these arachnids came from.

Important: there have been cases when customers brought pests home from the store in bags of cereals. Affected products must be thrown away; they are not suitable for consumption. The remaining cereals and flour must be calcined or kept in the freezer.

The mite lives in the following products:

• flour;
• dried fruits;
• dried apples and mushrooms;
• dairy products;
• cereals.

Important: the product will have a sweetish smell if it has been infested with flour mites.

The period of wakefulness is evening and night, then the itching is felt very strongly. The white mite causes discomfort in humans and is transmitted through direct contact. It takes a week for a tick to “get comfortable” in a new territory.

Myths about white ticks

People tend to greatly exaggerate facts. There are rumors about a huge invisible tick, but this is only the Ixodid tick, which has light color Taurus Some arthropods acquire for some time white shade skeleton, as they live away from sunlight.

There are cases where some types of ticks for a long time they live in caves, so they become literally transparent; this has never happened in our area.

Conclusion

White mites are an extremely unpleasant natural phenomenon, but there are many ways to combat them, the main thing is to recognize the problem in time and begin to get rid of it. The most dangerous type of tick with a light color is the ixodid tick; it is easier to notice it on the surface of the body than all the others.