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Ticks identification guide3/18/2024 ![]() ![]() This guide provides detailed information on tick identification and prevention. If you find a tick on your body, see our instructions for removing it safely. Tick identification is crucial for preventing tick-borne diseases. Hover your cursor (or tap, on mobile) to see more information on each species of tick. For many species, these are the most likely to feed on humans-though some nymphal ticks also frequently bite. On each of the cards below, you’ll find an illustration of an adult female tick. Still, the overall risk of a tick bite remains significant during July, and although it falls throughout the summer, bite frequency spikes again somewhat during late October and early November, according to the CDC’s tick bite data tracker. However, “the greatest diversity of types and stages of ticks active is in April, May, and June,” he says. This guide aims to provide comprehensive information on tick identification, including common species found in the United States and step-by-step instructions on how to identify ticks. Each of these ticks has three life stages after hatching from eggs: larvae, nymphs, then adults.Īccording to Mather, some type of tick is active somewhere in the U.S. Here, we’ve provided images and size charts to help you identify several common species of ticks across the U.S., along with the diseases they can transmit. Adult males are dark brown with a crosshatch pattern on their backs. In the U.S., there are more than a dozen other tick-borne diseases that can make you sick. Dermacentor albipictus Identifying Characteristics: Adult females are reddish-brown with a creamy white shield on their backs behind their heads. Tick bites, however, pose many risks beyond Lyme disease. The link for each species will tell you about its: Morphological features Geographical distribution Host Life cycle Pathogenesis All photos and diagrams will enlarge when clicked. by only the blacklegged tick and its cousin, the Western blacklegged tick. ![]() That’s because Lyme disease is known to be transmitted in the U.S. ![]() It’s also recommended only for bites from blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks. ![]() If the tick that bites you is infected, for example, a precautionary dose of antibiotics may help forestall a potential case of Lyme disease.īut not every tick bite warrants such treatment-it’s recommended only if the tick has been attached for 36 hours or longer, if the bite occurred in an area where Lyme disease is common, and if medication can be started within 72 hours of the tick being removed. While a tick bite might not be an emergency in the typical sense, in some cases, it’s wise to seek care quickly. These ticks are oval shaped and their mouthparts are relatively short and broad.One out of every 2,000 emergency department visits is for a tick bite, according to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On females, the silvery-white marks are found only on the scutum. The silvery-white marks streak across the backs of males from the edges of the scutum to the rear end (see illustration below). It usually feeds on dogs and other small mammals, but will bite people and occasionally transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. YES: This is an American dog tick ( Dermacentor variabilis), the most common tick found throughout Illinois. Are there irregular silvery white marks in the center of the tick’s back?.They are often associated with domestic birds upon which they feed. The small dark-loving creatures do not bite or sting and are completely harmless. The insect-like creatures measure 0.33 to 0.70 (8.5 18 mm). The wingless, oval arthropods look like tiny dark gray or black armadillos. These ticks are soft, while all other ticks mentioned here are “hard ticks.” Soft ticks rarely, if ever, transmit disease in Illinois. Pillbugs are a group of small, pesky insects commonly found in homes in Florida. However, because there are many similar Ixodes species, they should be sent to an expert for species identification. These ticks can transmit Lyme and other diseases. Adult ticks feed primarily on large mammals, larvae and nymphs feed on small rodents. They range from dark brown to bright red and have black legs. Females are brown with silvery-gray markings. Blacklegged ticks are most common in northern Illinois and around river corridors. YES: This may be a blacklegged tick, also know as the “deer tick” ( Ixodes scapularis). Are the mouthparts long, narrow and visible from above the tick?.Does the rear edge of the tick appear segmented with several square plates known as festoons?. ![]()
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