Life-stage explainerWorldwide

Why do larval ticks have six legs?

A tick hatches as a six-legged larva. After feeding and moulting into a nymph, it has eight legs, which it retains as an adult.

Reviewed by VuxLore® Knowledge Team For Everyone

Short answer

A tick hatches as a six-legged larva. After feeding and moulting into a nymph, it has eight legs, which it retains as an adult.

At a glance

Leg count is one of the clearest broad differences between the larval stage and later tick stages, although seeing every leg in a photograph can be difficult.

Key takeaways

• Larva: six legs.

• Nymph: eight legs.

• Adult: eight legs.

The first mobile stage

After emerging from the egg, the larva seeks a host and takes a blood meal before it can develop further. It then moults into the eight-legged nymphal stage.

Use leg count carefully

A folded, hidden or damaged leg can make a photograph misleading. Identification should use the clearest available view and other anatomical features rather than forcing a conclusion from an unclear image.