Tick Identification

Ticks vary in size, color, and have distinguishing characteristics. It is important to identify a tick to understand your potential risk for a tick-borne disease. Below are three of the most common ticks in Pennsylvania.

Deer / Black-legged Tick (Ixodes scapularis)

Also called: “Deer Tick”

• Appearance: Small, dark brown to black body; black legs. Females often have a reddish-orange lower body.

• Risks: Main vector for Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and Powassan virus.

• Where found: Wooded, brushy, and grassy areas.

Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)

Also called: “Turkey Tick”

• Appearance: Female has a single white “star” spot on her back; males have scattered white streaks.

• Risks: Can transmit ehrlichiosis, tularemia, STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness), and is linked to Alpha-gal meat allergy.

• Where found: Increasingly common in PA; thrives in woodland edges and fields.

American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

Also called: “Wood Tick”

• Appearance: Larger tick with mottled white/gray markings on a brown body.

• Risks: Primary vector for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and tularemia.

• Where found: Grassy fields, trails, and open areas near woods.