ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER TICK 341 



forms on cattle. The life history of each, as well as that of many 

 others of this group, is, generally speaking, the same, differing in 

 minor details. One difference of detail is that the fever tick moults 

 on its original host, while other native species, the dog tick for 



Engorged Tick 



Engorged Tick 

 Laying Eggs. 



2nd Moult 



Eggs Hatch and 

 Seed Ticks Crawl 

 up on Grass 



L 



Seed Ticks get 

 on. Host Animal 



Seed Ticks Starve to 

 Death on Grass 



_ _a 



Fio. 346. Life cycle of North American fever tick. (After Cotton, Tenn. Bull. 81.) 



example, drop to the ground to moult and then seek other hosts. 

 The engorged and fertilized adult female lays on the ground about 

 1500 or 2000 or more eggs. It may take from three weeks to seven 

 months or more for these eggs to hatch. The young tick called 

 "seed tick" crawls to the top of weeds or grasses, to await there a 



