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Hard ticks
have a hard upper surface called a shield or scutellum that covers the
entire back of the male, but only partly covers the female. Mouthparts are
visible from above. They attach securely and may feed for weeks, using a
different host in each life stage. The female produces as many as 6000-7000
eggs. Soft ticks do not possess a shield, so the
sexes look alike. Their mouthparts are beneath the anterior end of the body
and are not visible from above. Principal hosts are birds, domestic animals,
bats and small mammals. These ticks feed intermittently at night. The female
oviposits following the blood meal and produces 500 to 1000 eggs during her
lifetime.
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