Which organism is a one-host tick?

Which organism is a one-host tick?

• A. Boophilus annulatus
• B. Ixodid sp.
• C. Argasidae sp.
• D. Otobius megnini

Answer: (D)

The key idea is how many hosts a tick uses for feeding across its life stages. A one-host tick stays on the same animal for larva, nymph, and adult, feeding and often molting on that single host. Otobius megnini, the spinose ear tick, fits this pattern because its larval, nymphal, and adult stages occur on the same host, typically in the ear, with feeding and development completed there. In contrast, many other ticks feed on different hosts at different life stages or molt off the host, so they are not one-host ticks. This makes Otobius megnini the correct example of a one-host tick.

The key idea is how many hosts a tick uses for feeding across its life stages. A one-host tick stays on the same animal for larva, nymph, and adult, feeding and often molting on that single host. Otobius megnini, the spinose ear tick, fits this pattern because its larval, nymphal, and adult stages occur on the same host, typically in the ear, with feeding and development completed there. In contrast, many other ticks feed on different hosts at different life stages or molt off the host, so they are not one-host ticks. This makes Otobius megnini the correct example of a one-host tick.