Which life stage of a tick does not feed on blood?

The correct answer is that the egg stage of a tick does not feed on blood. Ticks undergo several life stages, including egg, larva, nymph, and adult. During the egg stage, ticks are in an inert form and do not require a blood meal. They are primarily focused on developing into the next life stages and are not metabolically active, so feeding does not occur at this point.

In contrast, the larval, nymph, and adult stages all require blood meals for development and reproduction. Larvae, after emerging from the eggs, must feed on a host to continue their life cycle and molt into nymphs. Nymphs also need blood meals to grow into adults, and adult ticks feed primarily to facilitate reproduction. Thus, only the egg stage remains completely non-feeding in the life cycle of a tick.