What substance is secreted by the tick's *capitulum* to prevent immediate host detection?
Answer
An anesthetic to dull the host's pain response.
When a tick secures itself to a host using its mouthparts, known as the capitulum, it injects a complex chemical mixture via its saliva directly into the wound site. One critical component of this secretion is an anesthetic agent. The purpose of this anesthetic is to immediately numb the area where the tick has bored into the tissue, thereby mitigating the host's ability to instantly feel the intrusion and react by scratching or swatting the parasite away. Along with the anesthetic, an anticoagulant is also delivered to ensure the blood flow remains uninterrupted into the tick's digestive system during the feeding period.
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