Hyperparasitism is common in soft ticks, but was thought to be less widespread in their hard-bodied cousins, and has not been previously detected in the hard tick species I. angustus. However, prior research has not only documented male ticks in the Ixodes genus parasitizing females, but has also recorded evidence of feeding scars on females like those found in the new study. That evidence, along with the new findings, suggests that male hard-bodied ticks may use females as a meal ticket more frequently than once thought, the authors concluded.
https://www.livescience.com/61891-tick-bites-tick.html
Henriëtte