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The mouth parts of a lone star tick are revealed in vivid detail. The center of the mouth (yellow) is covered with many tiny barbs. These barbs keep the tick securely lodged inside the host while feeding. Lone star ticks are common in wooded areas throughout the central and eastern United States. They can carry disease-causing organisms, but these typically do not include the Lyme disease bacterium. This image was part of the Life: Magnified exhibit that ran from June 3, 2014, to January 21, 2015, at Dulles International Airport.
Igor Siwanowicz, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA
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