Which tick is a single-host tick?

Which tick is a single-host tick?

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

Answer: (A)

The pattern being tested is how many hosts a tick uses during its life cycle. Otobius megnini, the spinose ear tick, is known for completing its entire life cycle on a single host, with the larva, nymph, and adult all feeding on the same animal (often in the ear canal) and the engorged female dropping off to lay eggs off the host. In contrast, soft ticks (Argasidae) and hard ticks (Ixodidae) typically involve feeding on multiple hosts across the life stages, molting off the host or moving between different animals. So Otobius megnini fits the single-host pattern best.

The pattern being tested is how many hosts a tick uses during its life cycle. Otobius megnini, the spinose ear tick, is known for completing its entire life cycle on a single host, with the larva, nymph, and adult all feeding on the same animal (often in the ear canal) and the engorged female dropping off to lay eggs off the host. In contrast, soft ticks (Argasidae) and hard ticks (Ixodidae) typically involve feeding on multiple hosts across the life stages, molting off the host or moving between different animals. So Otobius megnini fits the single-host pattern best.