ID? Bed Beg or Tick? [a: looks like tick] « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

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ID? Bed Beg or Tick? [a: looks like tick]

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Stay_Calm

newbite
Joined: Jun '11
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Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jun 1 2012 15:14:22
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... Or something else!?

I got a panicked call from a friend this morning. She woke up at 3 am with a tiny black critter on her arm. As the designated "bed bug guy" in my group of friends she turned to for advice.

The background: Yesterday she told me about a cat tree she found on the curb near her house. Stoked, she brought it home. I warned her: "Never take curbed furniture! There could be bed bugs!" So she left it on her back patio and went to bed. Flash forward to 3 am, she wakes up with this guy on her arm.

Unfortunately she had already killed and flushed the bug - but she did snap this picture:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/252/bugrc.jpg/

Looks like it has 4 legs to me and isn't really shaped like a bed bug. What do you think? Could that top one be the antenna?

Also, she didn't find any other bugs on her bed (she stripped it). None found around the house. She threw the cat tree back to the curb. None were spotted on it either.

Any guesses? Thanks!
bed-bugscouk

oldtimer
Joined: Apr '07
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Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jun 1 2012 15:33:06
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Hi,

100% not bedbug.

Not clear enough on mobile to say that it is.

David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited
loubugs

old timer
Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jun 1 2012 16:19:52
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Looks like a tick. 4 pairs of legs. Difficult to say which species, but not a species of Dermacentor. Could be a male because abdomen (opisthosoma) is somewhat shiny and this hints at a large scute that covers the back.
Stay_Calm

newbite
Joined: Jun '11
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Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jun 1 2012 17:11:40
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Good to know - do you guys know much about ticks?

My friend doesn't live near the woods - this happened in urban LA. She has a cat that only stays on her second floor balcony and inside the house.

She went camping, but it was a week ago. Any guesses?
Nobugsonme

your host
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Posted 11 months ago
Sat Jun 9 2012 15:47:51
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If she's not sure if he was bitten,mI would suggest she see a doctor in case she hasn't yet. They can test for Lyme disease, if I am not mistaken,