This is a dorsal view of the “soft tick” Carios kelleyi, formerly Ornithodoros kelleyi, or the “Bat Tick”.
When infested bats leave houses to seek hibernation in caves, the ticks look for available blood meals, and in Iowa, this tick specie is known to bite humans, which causes a severe rash at the bite site, sometimes a big as dinner plates.
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No guarantee is offered as to the accuracy of the images or descriptions contained here. Use this website at your own risk.
Some of the images on this website are in the public domain.