When away from the host they infest the ground and shrubs associated with the presence of the hosts. Hard ticks are distinguished by the presence of a scutum and an easily visible forward projecting capitulum containing a hypostome and chelicerae. Both sexes are bloodsuckers but feed less often than the soft ticks. Feeding can take many days after which they drop off to continue development or produce eggs which are laid in shrubby areas. Most species can survive for more than one year without feeding.
Hard ticks are of economic importance in the transmission of a variety of diseases.
Most mites are minute free-living or parasitic arthropods in terrestrial or aquatic environments. They resemble ticks in morphology with a capitulum and four pairs of legs. Mites are most frequently ectoparasites of the skin, mucous membranes and feathers. Members of the Family Sarcopitae include the mange and scabies mites Sarcoptes spp. The cotton rat mite, Ornithonyssus bacoti , is a known vector of the filarial nematode Litmosoides carinii .