Tick Species

Tick Species in the U.S.

Not all ticks are created equal. Different tick species live in different areas and carry different diseases. Here, we introduce some of the common ticks in the United States that you should know about. By learning to identify ticks, you’ll know what to watch out for (and what diseases you could be at risk for if one bites you). We’ll cover the blacklegged tick (deer tick), Lone Star tick, American dog tick, and Gulf Coast tick, which are four of the big players in disease transmission.

(Creepy-crawly warning: if pictures of ticks make you squirm, take a deep breath! Understanding these little guys is empowering. We’ll describe them and also provide links to images from CDC/universities so you can see what they look like.)

Each section below gives the tick’s common name, scientific name (for the biology geeks), where it’s found, what diseases it spreads, when it’s most active, and some ID tips so you can recognize it. Knowing your ticks is important: for example, if you pull a tick off and see it’s a Lone Star tick, you’ll know to watch out for ehrlichiosis symptoms, whereas a deer tick would have you on the lookout for Lyme, etc.

Let’s meet the ticks:

American Dog Tick – Dermacentor variabilis

Look for a reddish-brown tick with ornate, cream-colored markings on its shield and a broad, oval body.

Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick) – Ixodes scapularis

Identify the Blacklegged Tick by its small size, black legs, and dark brown to reddish-orange body with a black shield near the head.

Gulf Coast Tick – Amblyomma maculatum

A large tick with long reddish-brown legs and a silvery, patterned shield on a reddish body.

Lone Star Tick – Amblyomma americanum

A reddish-brown tick with long legs and a single white dot on the back of the adult female.