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Species of the genus are characterized by the long mouthparts. The scutum is usually ornate, often with bright, multi-colored iridescent patterns.
The cayenne tick may be active on domestic animals, wild vertebrates, and even man, year round. In the state of São Paulo (located in the southeastern region of Brazil), infestations of larvae, nymphs and adults on horses are greatest, respectively, from March to July, from July to October and from October to February.
In Brazil, A.cajennense is a known vector of the spotted fever, caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a zoonosis in which rickettsiae circulate among ticks and vertebrate hosts in an ecosystem without the presence of man. Apart from possible potential disease transmission of the species, the larval stage, which at certain seasons swarm in the grass in thousands, are distinguished by the inhabitants under the name of "micuim". The "micuim" attack man readily and may be the source of intense skin irritation especially around the waist and legs.