Which is an example of a hard tick?

• A. South coast tick.
• B. Balkan deer tick.
• C. Relapsing fever tick.
• D. American dog tick.

Answer: (D)

The concept being tested is the difference between hard ticks (family Ixodidae) and soft ticks (family Argasidae). Hard ticks have a hard dorsal shield (scutum) and forward-facing mouthparts, and they attach to hosts for extended periods to feed, which is a hallmark of their biology and disease transmission potential. The American dog tick is a well-known representative of this group, so it clearly fits as an example of a hard tick. In contrast, the relapsing fever tick comes from the soft-tick family and lacks the hard scutum and the extended feeding pattern, so it does not illustrate a hard tick. The other named ticks can also be hard ticks in different contexts, but the American dog tick is the classic, widely used example that best demonstrates the characteristic features of hard ticks.