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What is the tick scutum?

The scutum is the firm dorsal shield on a hard tick; it covers most of an adult male's back but only the front portion of a female's or immature tick's back.

Reviewed by VuxLore® Knowledge Team For Everyone

Short answer

The scutum is the firm dorsal shield on a hard tick; it covers most of an adult male's back but only the front portion of a female's or immature tick's back.

At a glance

Scutum shape, colour and ornamentation can aid identification and its limited size in females leaves room for the body to expand during feeding.

Key takeaways

• Soft ticks do not have the same visible dorsal shield.

• Male and female hard ticks show different coverage.

• The scutum can support expert identification.

A defining hard-tick feature

The family Ixodidae is commonly called the hard ticks because of this shield. It should be assessed together with mouthparts, festoons, eyes and other structures.