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Ticks 24 *
These mouth parts belong to a Argasidae family North American tick with its well developed hypostome, and definite teeth.
Ticks of the genus Ornithodoros, i.e., family Argasidae, are the only “soft ticks” that possess a well developed hypostome with teeth. As part of the tick’s mouth, the hypostome is the structure that is used to penetrate the host’s skin.
Picture & text from CDC/PHIL. For more information on source & for information on color coding used above for different types of ticks, see Tick Pictures from CDC