How much larger can the adult female I. pacificus become after engorging?
Answer
Can engorge nearly seven-fold its initial size
The capacity for blood meal acquisition in the adult female *I. pacificus* is extreme, a capability afforded by her partially plated body structure. An unfed female starts around 3 mm in length, but because her scutum only covers the anterior section, her abdomen is free to expand dramatically. This dramatic expansion allows her to engorge to measurements reaching 9.5 mm or even longer, which can equate to nearly a seven-fold increase in her body size from her unfed state. This massive intake of resources is necessary to provide the energy required for subsequent egg production.
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