#hard tick

Most likely A. t. trigattatum, since that seems to be the most common of the four subspecies, at least in Western Australia.  Amblyomma is a genus of hard tick, found worldwide, and includes a number of known disease vectors. This one, for example is a known vector of Rickettsia, and suspected of involvement in Q Fever.

This particular individual scrambled across the sand towards my boots, while I was working on a building. Not entirely surprising - there are dozens of kangaroos that hang around the same subdivision, eating the lawns. They’ve been found on rats and rabbits too.

Member of Family Ixodidae, a hard tick Photomicrography by Michal Kukla

Through the polarizing microscope, PZO 5x Posted April 11, 2014 ____________________________________

Ixodidae is a family of ticks, distinguished from other ticks by having a hard shield (scutum). They can't be crushed by a human foot (with shoe) except when engorged with blood. Unlike the soft ticks, their heads project forwards from their bodies.  

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.

Animalia → Arthropoda → Arachnida → Acari → Parasitiformes → Order: Ixodida → ...