My photographic project this evening was to capture one of the more endearing behaviors (or annoying behaviors, I suppose, for all you haters out there) of hungry ticks. The arachnids crawl to a high point- say, a blade of grass- and wave their legs about hoping to snare a tasty mammal. The habit is called “questing”, and here are a couple of the better shots:
Dermacentor variabilis - American Dog Tick
Dermacentor variabilis - American Dog Tick
update: Rob Higgins & Brian Allan point out that this male tick is questing not for a host per se, but for a host carrying a female tick.
photo details:
Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 7D
ISO 200, f/14, 1/250 sec
diffuse overhead strobe
A personal blog by Illinois-based biologist and photographer Alex Wild.
The empty space around the tick really makes the shots. Excellent choice on the cropping.
The second one is my fave…both are lovely captures, though! You’re making me want to go find some ticks…
Shoot a deer tick and call the same behavior “Lymeing…” or is it Lyming?
hey – the dog tick is bad enough singing Rocky Mountain High and Too-Ra-Lool Fever !!
No need to rhyme with lyme
Did not know that was called questing. It almost makes me like ticks a little smidgen of an ounce of…a tick. Almost. I like the first one especially; the word that comes strongly to mind: Exultant!
Awwww so cute!
Was it chanting ‘Rise up yea bags of blood and FEED ME’?
They do look to me like they are proclaiming something of great importance to the surrounding vegetation. The first shot is almost begging for a word bubble…
You’d think so, but in reality that last one is just directing airplanes where to park.
In the second photo the tick is hoping to be transported to Mars, a la John Carter.
“I can remember spending many an hour in my boyhood, arms resolutely outstretched in an empty field, imploring what I believed to be Mars to transport me there.” — Carl Sagan
Actually that tick is a male and not so much looking for a tasty mammal for a meal, but rather a mammal hosting a female.
Yeah, an actual tick expert pointed that out to me yesterday, after I posted it. I suppose I should issue an update.
Cool – tyvm
It just goes to show that “an old dog can earn a new tick”.
ha ha.
I thought I would go one day this week without seeing a tick…
[...] and Photographer Alex Wild managed to make this creepy behavior look beautiful. He posted some Tick Questing pictures last week. I recommend a [...]