Ticks devour large quantities of blood, and their wounds are subject to secondary bacterial infection. Severe infestations can cause anemia, weight loss, and death of the host. Ticks are small, wingless, bloodsucking parasites closely related to the mites. The tick has a glossy, leathery cuticle. Adults and nymphs have eight legs, and the larvae or seed ticks have only six legs.
Sexual dimorphism is pronounced in the male.
The male is incapable of becoming greatly enlarged. The female dorsum only partially covers the body, allowing considerable enlargement. The scutum appears only as a small shield posterior to the capitulum on the engorged female. The capitulum is always anterior and visible dorsally. Adult ticks mate on the host.