Ticks
Castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Subclass:	Acari
Superorder:	Parasitiformes
Order:	Ixodida Leach, 1815
Superfamily:	Ixodoidea Leach, 1815
Families
Ixodidae – hard ticks Argasidae – soft ticks Nuttalliellidae
Diversity
18 genera, c. 900 species

Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida. Along with mites, they constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. Ticks are vectors of a number of diseases, including Lyme disease, Q fever (rare; more commonly transmitted by infected excreta),^[1] Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, African tick bite fever, tularemia, tick-borne relapsing fever, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Tick paralysis and tick-borne meningoencephalitis, as well as bovine anaplasmosis.

Taxonomy[link]

There are three families of ticks, one of which – Nuttalliellidae – comprises a single species, Nuttalliella namaqua. The remaining two families contain the hard ticks (Ixodidae) and the soft ticks (Argasidae).^[2][3]

Ixodidae are distinguished from the Argasidae by the presence of a scutum or hard shield. Ixodidae nymphs and adults both have a prominent capitulum (head) which projects forwards from the body; in the Argasidae, conversely, the capitulum is concealed beneath the body.^[4]

Argasidae contains 193 species, although the composition of the genera is less certain, and more study is needed before the genera can become stable.^[2] The currently accepted genera are Antricola, Argas, Nothaspis, Ornithodoros and Otobius.^[2] Though common in North America, they feed rapidly, primarily on birds, and are very rarely found to parasitize land animals or humans.^[5]

Nuttalliella namaqua is a tick found in southern Africa from Tanzania to Namibia and South Africa,^[6] which is placed in its own family, Nuttalliellidae.^[2] It can be distinguished from ixodid ticks and argasid ticks by a combination of characters including the position of the stigmata, lack of setae, strongly corrugated integument, and form of the fenestrated plates.^[7]

Fossilized ticks are common. Recent hypotheses based on total-evidence approach analysis place the origin of ticks in the Cretaceous (65 to 146 million years ago) with most of the evolution and dispersal occurring during the Tertiary (5 to 65 million years ago).^[8] The oldest example is an argasid (bird) tick from Cretaceous New Jersey amber. The younger Baltic and Dominican ambers have also yielded examples, all of which can be placed in living genera.

Range and habitat[link]

Tick species are widely distributed around the world.^[9] However, they tend to flourish more in countries with warm, humid climates, because they require a certain amount of moisture in the air in order to undergo metamorphosis, and because low temperatures inhibit their development from egg to larva.^[10] Ticks of domestic animals are especially common and varied in tropical countries, where they cause considerable harm to livestock by transmission of many species of pathogens and also causing direct parasitic damage.

For an ecosystem to support ticks, it must satisfy two requirements: there must be a high enough population density of host species in the area, and there must be high enough humidity for ticks to remain hydrated.^[11] Due to their role in transmitting Lyme disease, ixodid ticks, particularly I. scapularis, have been studied using geographic information systems (GIS), in order to develop predictive models for ideal tick habitats. According to these studies, it was determined that certain features of a given micro-climate – such as sandy soil, hardwood trees, rivers, and the presence of deer – are good predictors of dense tick populations.^[5]

Anatomy and physiology[link]

Ticks, like mites, have bodies which are divided into two primary sections: the anterior capitulum (or gnathosoma), which contains the head and mouthparts; and the posterior idiosoma which contains the legs, digestive tract, and reproductive organs.^[11]

Diet and feeding behaviors[link]

Ticks, such as these Ixodes scapularis', climb to the ends of leaves or branches and attach to hosts that brush against them.

Ticks satisfy all of their nutritional requirements on a diet of blood, a practice known as hematophagy. They extract the blood by cutting a hole in the host's epidermis, into which they insert their hypostome, likely keeping the blood from clotting by excreting an anticoagulant.^[12]

Legs[link]

Ticks have eight legs.

Like all arachnids, ticks have eight legs. The legs of Ixodidae and Argasidae are similar in structure. Each leg is composed of six segments: the coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, and tarsus. Each of these segments are connected by muscles which allow for flexion and extension, however the coxae have limited lateral movement. When not being used for walking, the legs remain tightly folded against the body.^[13][14]

In addition to being used for locomotion, the tarsus of leg I contains a unique sensory organ known as the Haller's organ which can detect odors and chemicals emanating from the host, as well as sensing changes in temperature and air currents.^[13][14][15]

Life cycle and reproduction[link]

Ixodidae[link]

Both ixodid and argasid ticks undergo three primary stages of development: larval, nymphal, and adult.^[16] Ixodid ticks require three hosts, and their life cycle takes at least one year to complete. Up to 3,000 eggs are laid on the ground by an adult female tick. When larvae emerge, they feed primarily on small mammals and birds. After feeding, they detach from their host and molt to nymphs on the ground, which then feed on larger hosts and molt to adults. Female adults attach to larger hosts, feed, and lay eggs, while males feed very little and occupy larger hosts primarily for mating.^[5]

Argasidae[link]

Argasid ticks, unlike ixodid ticks, may go through several nymphal stages, requiring a meal of blood each time.^[17] Their lifecycle ranges from months to years. The adult female argasid tick can lay anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand eggs over the course of her lifetime. Larvae feed very quickly and detach to molt to nymphs. Nymphs may go through as many as seven instars, each requiring a blood meal. Both male and female adults blood-feed, and they mate off the host. During feeding, any excess fluid is excreted by the coxal glands, a process which is unique to argasid ticks.^[5]

Researcher collecting ticks using the "tick dragging" method.

Medical issues[link]

A sign in a Lithuanian forest warning about a high risk of Tick-borne encephalitis infection

Tick-borne disease[link]

Tick-borne illnesses are caused by infection with a variety of pathogens, including rickettsia and other types of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Because ticks can harbor more than one disease-causing agent, patients can be infected with more than one pathogen at the same time, compounding the difficulty in diagnosis and treatment. Major tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, relapsing fever, tularemia, tick-borne meningoencephalitis, Colorado tick fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, babesiosis and cytauxzoonosis. A recent find is candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis, a bacterium which causes blood clots: present in 9% of rodents, it mainly affects persons with lowered immune defense, and can be cured with antibiotics.^[18]

Tick bites may also induce a delayed allergy to red meat, involving the oligosaccharide, galactose alpha-1,3-galactose: the food-induced reactions, including anaphylaxis, characteristically present several hours after eating in subjects who have experienced a large local reaction to tick bites up to six months earlier.^[19][20]

Eggs can be infected with pathogens inside the ovaries, meaning that baby ticks can be infectious immediately at birth, before feeding on their first host.^[17]

First aid[link]

Engorged tick attached to back of toddler's head. Adult thumb shown for scale.

In general, the best way to remove adult Ixodidae is mechanically. To facilitate prompt removal, fine-tipped tweezers can be used to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and detach it by applying a steady upward force without crushing, jerking or twisting, in such a way as to avoid leaving behind mouthparts or provoking regurgitation of infective fluids into the wound.^[21][22][23] Proprietary tick removal tools are also available.^[21][22] It is important to disinfect the bite area thoroughly after removal of the tick.^[23] The tick can be stored and, in case of signs or symptoms of a subsequent infection, shown to a clinician for identification purposes together with details of where and when the bite occurred.^[21] If the tick's head and mouthparts are not attached to the body after removal, it may be necessary to perform a punch biopsy to remove any parts remaining inside the patient.^[24]

Population control measures[link]

With the possible exception of widespread DDT use in the Soviet Union, attempts to limit the population or distribution of disease-causing ticks have been very unsuccessful.^[25]

The parasitic Ichneumon wasp Ixodiphagus hookeri has long been investigated for its potential to control tick populations. It lays its eggs into ticks; the hatching wasps kill their host.

Another natural form of control for ticks is the guineafowl, a bird species which consumes mass quantities of ticks.^[26] Just 2 birds can clear 2 acres (8,100 m²) in a single year.

Topical (drops/dust) flea/tick medicines may be toxic to animals and humans. Phenothrin (85.7%) in combination with Methoprene was a popular topical flea/tick therapy for felines. Phenothrin kills adult fleas and ticks. Methoprene is an insect growth regulator that interrupts the insect's life cycle by killing the eggs. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required at least one manufacturer of these products to withdraw some products and include strong cautionary statements on others, warning of adverse reactions.^[27]

Deer ticks[link]

The black legged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is dependent on the white-tailed deer for reproduction. Larval and nymph stages (immature ticks that cannot reproduce) of the deer tick feed on birds and small mammals. The adult female tick needs a large 3-day blood meal from the deer before she can reproduce and lay her 2000 or more eggs. Deer are the primary host for the adult deer tick and are key to the reproductive success of the tick.^[28]

Numerous studies have shown that abundance and distribution of deer ticks are correlated with deer densities.^{[28][29][30][31]}

When the deer population was reduced by 74% at a 248-acre (100 ha) study site in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for example, the number of nymphal ticks collected at the site decreased by 92%.^[28] The relationship between deer abundance, tick abundance, and human cases of Lyme disease was well documented in the Mumford Cove Community in Groton, Connecticut, from 1996 to 2004. The deer population in Mumford Cove was reduced from about 77 deer per square mile to about 10 deer per square mile (4 deer per square kilometer) after 2 years of controlled hunting. After the initial reduction the deer population was maintained at low levels. Reducing deer densities to 10 deer per square mile (4 deer per square kilometer) was adequate to reduce by more than 90% the risk of humans contracting Lyme disease in Mumford Cove.^[32]

A 2006 study by Penn State's Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics indicated that reducing the deer population in small areas (but not large areas) may lead to higher tick densities, resulting in more tick-borne infections in rodents leading to a high prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis and creating a tick hot-spot.^[33]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ixodida

Arthropods portal

• Flea
• Mosquito
• Parasitology
• Vampire bat
• Rickettsia helvetica
• Ticks of domestic animals

References[link]

Notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

Further reading[link]

• Bruin, Jan & L. P. S. van der Greest, ed. (2009). Diseases of Mites and Ticks. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4020-9694-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=2gz_JSTOzZ8C. 
• Cunha, Burke A. (2000). Tickborne Infectious Diseases: Diagnosis and Management. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8247-0310-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=UOKub5HbpoYC. 
• Service, M. W. (2004). "Soft ticks (Argasidae)". Medical Entomology for Students. Cambridge University Press. pp. 213–221. ISBN 978-0-521-54775-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=yi5gRCErrrQC&pg=PA213. 
• Service, M. W. (2004). "Hard ticks (Ixodidae)". Medical Entomology for Students. Cambridge University Press. pp. 222–236. ISBN 978-0-521-54775-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=yi5gRCErrrQC&pg=PA222. 
• Sonenshine, Daniel E. (1993). Biology of Ticks. Vols. 1 & 2. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-508431-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=6LXwAAAAMAAJ. 

v t e Acari (ticks and mites) Acariformes Trombidiformes Sphaerolichida Prostigmata Sarcoptiformes Endeostigmata Oribatida Parasitiformes Opilioacariformes Opilioacaridae Holothyrida Allothyridae Holothyridae Neothyridae Ixodida (ticks) Argasidae Ixodidae Nuttalliellidae Mesostigmata Sejida Sejoidea Trigynaspida Cercomegistoidea Antennophoroidea Celaenopsoidea Fedrizzioidea Megisthanoidea Parantennuloidea Aenictequoidea Monogynaspida Microgynioidea Heatherelloidea Thinozerconoidea Polyaspidoidea Uropodoidea Trachyuropodoidea Diarthrophalloidea Epicrioidea Zerconoidea Arctacaroidea Parasitoidea Veigaioidea Rhodacaroidea Eviphidoidea Ascoidea Phytoseioidea Dermanyssoidea

The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in 1988, and gained mainstream popularity through an animated TV series on Fox in 1994. A short-lived live-action TV series, video game, and various merchandise have also been based on the character. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time ranked The Tick as #57.

History[link]

In 1986, 18-year-old cartoonist Ben Edlund created The Tick as a mascot for a newsletter of the Norwood, Massachusetts store New England Comics, where he was a customer. Edlund expanded this into stories, beginning with the three-page tale "The Tick" in New England Comics Newsletter #14-15 (July/August – September/October 1986), in which the hero escapes from a mental institution.^[1] The character became popular and the store financed a black-and-white comic book series, with the first issue released in June, 1988, and subsequently reprinted at least nine times through the next decade, including later editions with additional content. The Tick's sidekick, Arthur, was introduced in The Tick #4 (April 1989).

Spin-offs followed featuring characters such as Paul the Samurai, Man-Eating Cow, and Chainsaw Vigilante. Edlund continued to write and illustrate these projects initially through his years as an undergraduate film student at the Massachusetts College of Art. The Chainsaw Vigilante spin-off, which was never completed, was written and illustrated by Zander Cannon. Other series, such as the second Paul the Samurai series and the Man-Eating Cow series, were written by North Carolina writer Clay Griffith.

In 1994, the FOX network introduced The Tick as a Saturday morning cartoon series, which Edlund wrote and co-produced. Lasting three seasons, the animated series would provide The Tick's greatest mainstream fame. Townsend Coleman voiced the title character, and Micky Dolenz played his sidekick, Arthur, in Season 1. Rob Paulsen took over the Arthur role during Seasons 2 and 3. The series also featured Die Fledermaus as a shallow, self-absorbed Batman parody; Sewer Urchin, a Rain Man-like version of Aquaman; and American Maid, a more noble superheroine featuring aspects of Wonder Woman and Captain America. Reruns on Comedy Central helped make the series a cult hit with adults. The 1997 book The Tick: Mighty Blue Justice! by Greg Hyland (creator of Lethargic Lad) was published as a tie-in with the animated series.

In 2001, FOX introduced a live-action TV series (produced by Columbia-TriStar Television), written and executive produced by Edlund. The series starred Patrick Warburton as The Tick, David Burke as Arthur, Nestor Carbonell as Batmanuel (a Latino version of Die Fledermaus), and Liz Vassey as Captain Liberty (a shallow and self-absorbed version of American Maid). The series was short-lived, however, and it only lasted nine episodes. Nevertheless, it was well-praised and revered by cast and crew. A DVD release of the complete series (including several unaired episodes) was released on September 30, 2003.

In June, 2005, the Toon Disney network began airing The Tick animated series at midnight (Eastern Time). The series also occasionally aired on ABC Family as part of the Jetix cartoon block. The following year, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the first season of The Tick animated series on DVD. The second season was released on August 7, 2007; however, both collections were missing an episode for different reasons.

Character biography[link]

The Tick seems to have no memory of his life before being The Tick, and indeed not much memory of anything; more than likely due to frequent head injuries. In the live-action series, Batmanuel suggests that The Tick may be from space. In the original comic series, The Tick is apparently legally insane, having escaped from a mental institution located not too far from The City. In the animated series he has passed his official superhero initiation test before moving into the city. In the live-action series, however, he was tricked into moving to (and protecting) The City after irritating the employees of a remote bus station he had sworn to protect.

A square-jawed, muscular, bright blue-costumed figure with antennae sticking up from his head, The Tick is a surreal parody of superheroes, in the vein of Dave Sim's character, The Cockroach.^[2][3] He is well-intentioned, friendly, child-like, good-natured, high-spirited, frequently obtuse, and prone to quipping odd, dim remarks and "inspirational" speeches filled with bizarre metaphors. The Tick is known for his nonsensical battle cry, "Spoooooon!", which he decided upon one day while eating breakfast (specifically, the cereal Drama Flakes). In an interview, actor Patrick Warburton described his perception of The Tick character, as Warburton played him: "His past is a mystery. So everything that he looks at or perceives can be brand new, and he can get really, really excited and intrigued by something that’s just a commonality for everybody else, that’s humorous. He’s like a child; everything’s new. So you just bring that attitude to him, a childlike attitude of discovering things."^[4]

Originally, The Tick's costume was meant to be brown in color, but it was decided that blue looked better in print. In The Tick vs. The Tick, wherein The Tick is confronted by Barry, an unstable pseudo-hero who also calls himself "The Tick," Barry wears a brown costume similar to The Tick's. The Tick is named after an arachnid, much like Spider-Man. The logo of the series also resembles that of the 1994 Spider-Man series. According to the live-action series, The Tick is 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 230 pounds (6 inches and 170 pounds less than his dimensions in the comic), and has blue hair and eyes.

In the comic series, The Tick gets a job at the Weekly World Planet newspaper. He works in the same office as Clark Oppenheimer, who is also a superhero called the Caped Wonder. Oppenheimer has all the typical Superman powers, including X-ray vision ("see-through vision"), super strength, invulnerability, flight, heat-vision ("very hot vision"), and super hearing. Consequently, he looks down on The Tick as a lower form of superhero with limited powers.

Like many superheroes, The Tick has a sidekick, a rather plump former accountant named Arthur. Arthur wears a white moth suit that allows him to fly; although he is often mistaken for a bunny due to the long ear-like antennae of his costume and the fact that his wings are often folded up. The Tick is impulsive, and Arthur serves as a sort of conscience; he also figures out the schemes of villains and formulates plans to stop them. Arthur's "battle cry" (such as it is) is "Not in the face! Not in the face!"

In all of his incarnations, The Tick is surrounded by a cast of equally absurd heroes and villains, many of them parodies of popular comic book characters and character types. Few of the "superheroes" in the Tick mythos have powers that would measure up to those of DC Comics or Marvel Comics characters, but their foes are often equally silly and/or weak. The Tick lives in a city simply called "The City." In the animated series, The Tick was assigned to The City after his "Cabinet of Terror" (described by The Tick as the "deadliest engine of destruction 1974 had to offer") exploded, leaving him unharmed, during his city assignment selection trials at the National Super Institute Convention in Reno, Nevada. According to the series' companion book, The Tick: Mighty Blue Justice!, at least one of the judges was amazed by this (perhaps by The Tick's survival), awarding The Tick a score of 10 out of 10.

Powers and abilities[link]

The Tick possesses superhuman strength and mass, which makes him capable of inflicting great damage on his surroundings if he is not careful. His full strength is never actually quantified, although he is at the very least capable of lifting whole cars with a single hand. Tick is also "nigh-invulnerable", which means it is almost impossible to injure him in any serious way. Because of this he can survive moments of extreme duress, and demonstrated this ability on numerous occasions; once by falling 4000 feet, crashing through the concrete into a subway tunnel and subsequently being hit by an oncoming train, surviving without incident ^{("Evil Sits Down for a Moment", November 4, 1995)}. While he cannot be injured, he is not necessarily immune to pain or even temporary brain damage.

Finally, Tick possesses something referred to as "drama power," or basically a tendency for The Tick's powers to increase as the situation becomes more dramatic. He can also survive in space without a suit, and under water without oxygen for a long time. Despite his nigh-invulnerability, he is still susceptible to injuries. One of his only weaknesses is that he cannot keep his balance if his antennae are removed.

Characters[link]

A few characters have appeared throughout the three incarnations of The Tick. Apart from The Tick and Arthur, the only characters to appear in the comic book, the animated series, and the live-action show are The Terror, Arthur's sister Dot, and Fish Boy, the Lost Prince of Atlantis.

Main characters[link]

Blue ██ indicates an animated series character. Red ██ indicates a live-action series character. White ██ indicates a character that appeared in both, as well as the comic book series.

Other characters[link]

Merchandising[link]

While The Tick comic book series included some extras, such as trading cards, the merchandising of The Tick increased dramatically with the launch of the animated series. Action figures, stickers, pogs, T-shirts, hats, party favors, costumes, and a board game were representative. In addition, many fast food restaurant chains, such as Carl's Jr. and Taco Bell offered Tick-related giveaways.

In 1994, Fox Interactive also released a beat 'em up video game based on the animated series. The game, however, was not well received.

Tick-inspired characters[link]

The character of Sentinel Prime in the Transformers Animated television series is not only voiced by the same actor as The Tick, but his physical form is highly inspired by The Tick, as well.^[5] However, Sentinel Prime is arrogant and rude, as opposed to The Tick's good-hearted, silly nature.

Also, the fictional superhero Crimson Chin from The Fairly OddParents animated series is based on the Tick. Captain Qwark from the video game series Ratchet and Clank is a similar case.

Bibliography[link]

• Edlund, Ben (July 1996). The Tick: The Naked City. Marlowe & Company. ISBN 978-1-56924-828-7. 
• Edlund, Ben (2003). The Tick: Circus Maximus Collection. New England Comics Press. 
• Edlund, Ben (October 29, 2008). The Tick: The Complete Edlund. New England Comics Press. 
• Hyland, Greg (May 1, 1997). The Tick: Mighty Blue Justice!. Berkley Books. ISBN 978-1-57297-250-6. 
• McCulloch, Chris (2009). The Tick: Karma Tornado, The Complete Works. New England Comics Press. 
• Stone, Eli (2009). The Tick: Big Blue Destiny, The Complete Works. New England Comics. 
• Wang, Sean (2009). The Tick and Arthur, The Complete Works. New England Comics Press. 
• Wang, Sean; Stone, Eli (2009). The Tick Specials, The Complete Works. New England Comics Press. 

Reception[link]

The Tick has been well received as a comic book character. Wizard magazine rated him as the 187th greatest comic book character of all time.^[6] Empire magazine also ranked him as the 28th greatest comic book character of all time stating that the Tick is a lovable lunk, given to overly dramatic declarations on behalf of justice.^[7] IGN ranked him as the 57th greatest comic book hero of all time stating if you like your heroes on the bizarre side, you won't find anyone more surreal than The Tick.; IGN also stated that whatever his mental state, The Tick's adventures are thoroughly enjoyable, whether they unfold on the printed page or television.^[8]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Tick (comics)

• The Tick (1994–1997) Official site
• The Tick (1994–1997) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Tick (2001–2002) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Tick (1994–1997) at TV.com
• The Tick (2001–2002) at TV.com
• Comic Vine