The Argasidae are the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of soft ticks, one of the three families of
ticks. The family contains 193
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
, although the composition of the
genera is less certain, and more study is needed before the genera can become stable.
The currently accepted genera are ''
Antricola'', ''
Argas'', ''
Nothoaspis'', ''
Ornithodoros'', and ''
Otobius''.
The Argasidae are very common in South Asia, along with 96 other species of ticks, making South Asia the region with the highest biodiversity of ticks worldwide.
Soft ticks are resistant to desiccation and can live for several years in arid conditions.
Physical characteristics
Soft ticks lack the hard
scutum present in the hard ticks (
Ixodidae
The Ixodidae are the family of hard ticks or scale ticks, one of the three families of ticks, consisting of over 700 species. They are known as 'hard ticks' because they have a scutum or hard shield, which the other major family of ticks, the 'sof ...
).
The
gnathosoma (or capitulum, the mouthparts-bearing structure) is located on the underside of the animal's body and is not readily visible,
while in the Ixodidae, the gnathosoma projects forward from the body. The lateral edges of the body are rounded.
See also
*
Ticks of domestic animals
References
External links
*
*
Ticks
Acari families
Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Koch
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