Sheep tick mouthparts. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the mouthparts of a sheep tick nymph (Ixodes ricinus), the principal vector of L

---

Sheep tick mouthparts. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the mouthparts of a sheep tick nymph (Ixodes ricinus), the principal vector of Lyme disease in Europe. The tick's body is brown and it's two front legs are visible. Between the legs the mouthparts of the tick can be seen. The longer serrated proboscis (lower) penetrates the skin of the host. The shorter barbed hypostome (top) anchors the tick and sucks the host blood. The nymph is the second stage of a tick's lifecycle. Ixodes ricinus causes Lyme disease by transmitting the bacteria Borrelia burgdoferi during feeding. Lyme disease results in fever and inflammation of joints. Magnification: x150 at 6x6cm size.

---

Size: 5028px × 5045px
Photo credit: © EYE OF SCIENCE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, arachnida, borrelia, burgdorferi, cattle, disease, hypostome, invertebrates, ixodes, lyme, mouth, mouthparts, nature, nymph, ricinu, ricinus, sheep, tick, vector, wildlife, zoology