Herms soft tick

Family: Argasidae. Genus: Ornithodoros. Soft tick.

Soft-bodied tick without a dorsal scutum. Mouthparts are not visible from above. Nymphs and adults feed briefly, often without the person noticing.

Photographs and location alone may be insufficient for confirmation; use expert morphological examination when reliable species identification is required.

Photographs alone cannot always confirm this species. Geographic location and host are supporting context, not conclusive identification.

Soft ticks show less obvious sexual dimorphism than hard ticks. Multiple nymphal instars may occur.

Multihost soft-tick life cycle with a larval stage and multiple possible nymphal instars before adulthood. Feeding is brief at nymphal and adult stages.

Exposure can occur when people sleep in infested buildings; the ticks and infected colonies can persist for long periods.

Associated with mountainous areas of western U.S. states at moderate to high elevations, especially rodent-infested rustic cabins.

Bites are brief and often painless or unnoticed. The species is a confirmed vector of soft tick relapsing fever.

Primarily associated with rodents; direct veterinary importance is secondary to its zoonotic role.

Confirmed vector of Borrelia hermsii, a cause of soft tick relapsing fever in the United States.

Use current public-health and veterinary guidance, avoid known tick habitats where practical, use suitable repellents or protective clothing, and check people and animals after exposure.

Remove attached ticks promptly using fine-tipped tweezers or an appropriate tick-removal tool. Seek medical or veterinary advice when symptoms or concerns arise.