Larvae of multiple species look very similar and must be identified microscopically by a professional. Larval ticks are extremely small and hard to see. Location: Found in all areas east of the Rocky Mountains, and a small section of the West Coast Most commonly feeds on dogs, but can also infect humans. They have ornate dorsal shields decorated with white markings and festoons. The American dog tick is the largest common tick, are brown in color, and have short pointed mouthparts. Location: Found year-round across the entire United States, but most often seen in southern areas Unlike the American dog Tick, the brown dog tick does not have a decorated dorsal shield. The brown dog tick is small, with an elongated body, reddish-brown color, and hexagonal mouthparts. Location: Most common in the southeastern United States, but have been spreading as far north as Maine The most easily identifiable characteristic is an obvious white dot on the female's dorsal shield, which gives the tick species its name. The lone star tick is medium-sized, with a very round body, reddish-brown color, and long thin mouthparts. Location: Found across the West Coast from Mexico to Canada The most important distinguishing factor is that Western blacklegged ticks are found only on the west coast of the United States. Western blacklegged ticks look virtually identical to the deer tick, but with a slightly more oval body. Location: Very common across the east coast, upper midwest and Great Lakes regions They are distinctly reddish and have a solid black dorsal shield with long, thin mouth parts. Deer ticks are the smallest tick in North America, with adults growing to about the size of a sesame seed. The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is one of the most common ticks found in the United States. The following photographs are of adult ticks. Click on the tick name or image for a more detailed description.Īt TickCheck, we can test all of these species of ticks for all of the most common tick-borne diseases with over 99.99% accuracy. You can use this chart to identify the five most common variations of these tick types. While there are hundreds of species of ticks around the world, the majority of tick-borne diseases transmitted to humans and pets are carried by three main tick groups: blacklegged ticks (including the deer tick), dog ticks, and lone star ticks. The following guide will be helpful in identifying what type of tick has been encountered. Learning about the ticks that inhabit your area and how to identify them, can help to protect you and your family from exposure to tick borne disease. It is important to be able to recognize the life stage of a tick in order to be protected from tick-borne disease. At their next blood meal, they may then transmit the acquired pathogen to the new host they are feeding on. Larvae, nymphs, and adults all feed on the blood of vertebrate hosts and are capable of becoming infected with a pathogen while feeding. Ticks go through four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. These tick species have similar life-cycles and habitats, but each transmits a unique set of pathogens and inhabits different geographical regions. The most notorious tick species that come into contact with humans are the deer tick, American dog tick, lone star tick, brown dog tick, and Western blacklegged tick. Other species are commonplace and can be found inhabiting areas frequented by humans and their pets. Many species feed solely on wild animals or are found in very specific habitats and are rarely encountered by humans. There are hundreds of species of ticks throughout North America.
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