File:Ixodes female male.png

English: Ixodes female top left dorsal, right ventral; male bottom left dorsal, right ventral. Genus characteristics: 1- Females are medium size ticks, body and mouthparts approximately 4mm long; colored red/brown and black. 2- Mouthparts of females are longer than the basis capituli; second segment of the palps bends away from the piercing mouthparts, forming a gap. 3- Legs have no pale rings. 4- Scutum and conscutum are plain, without colored patterns. 5- Eyes are absent. 6- Coxae 1 have a single large spur. 7- Anal groove runs anterior to the anus. 8- Posterior body margin has no festoons. 9- Males have large sclerotized plates covering much of their ventral surface; anal groove running anterior to the anus is defined by some of these plates. 10- Males are smaller than females of same species; they are colored brown/black. 11- Mouthparts of males are smaller than of females.