Identifying Ticks

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Three Iowa Ticks Ixodes or Black-Legged tick, female, dog or wood tick, male; Lone star tick, female. The Lone star male does not have a white dot on the back, both have a rounder shape than the other two species.

Several Kinds of Ticks Lyme disease has been found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Canada, and throughout the U.S., in every state. Ticks on migrating birds continue to spread the disease to new areas. People are getting infected primarily in woodsy areas: at lakes, camps, city parks, the edges of golf courses, on farms, and even in back yards. Ticks bite birds, reptiles, and mammals, including humans. They feed on blood. They feed three times during their lives: once as a larvae, then as nymphs, and finally as adults. They pick up Lyme disease when biting an infected mouse, rabbit, or other small animal, and then transmit the disease to another animal or human when taking the next meal. Adult black-legged and lone star ticks often feed and mate on deer. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease in the central and southern states are the black-legged tick (deer tick), lone star tick and even the American dog tick is suspected. Ticks bite year-round, even in winter, but the nymphs, which cause most cases of Lyme disease, are most active from spring through early fall. The nymphs are tiny, about the size of a poppy seed, and are often not discovered. Many people with Lyme disease did not know they had a tick bite. Dogs, cats, horses, cows, and other farm animals can get Lyme disease, with symptoms of fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, irritability, lameness, and joint pain, with or without swelling.

	Ixodes or Black - Legged Ticks Adult female, adult male, nymph, and larvae (R-L). The adult female is more red in color and larger than the adult male. The nymph has 8 legs and is much darker. The larvae is nearly opaque in color.
	Ixodes or Black-Legged Ticks (L-R) Adult female, largest mor red in color with partial shield on back allowing for more expansion when engorged with blood. Adult male, darker with full shield covers its back. Nymphs are much smaller and feed on small mammals like mice. Larvae are black, turning flesh colored when feeding, and the size of a pinhead.

Ixodes adult female, adult male, and nymph (L-R) above sesame seeds.

Ixodes adult female with nymph on sesame seed. The adult female is more red in color. The nymph is more black.