Meet the Real Ticks
Illustrations are fun, but knowing what a real tick looks like matters. Here's what to actually look for. Tap any photo to see it larger.
Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick)
Ixodes scapularisFemale
The primary carrier of Lyme disease in the northeastern and midwestern United States.
Actual size: nymphs as small as a poppy seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Blacklegged Tick, underside
Ixodes scapularisFemale
Seen from below, the eight legs and mouthparts are clearer — useful when identifying a tick you have removed.
Actual size: adult female about a sesame seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Blacklegged Tick, partially engorged
Ixodes scapularisFemale
After feeding, the body swells and darkens, which is why an attached tick can look very different from photos.
Actual size: partially engorged adult close to a small bean
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick), male
Ixodes scapularisMale
Males do not engorge as noticeably as females and are often smaller, but they can still carry Lyme disease and other pathogens.
Actual size: adult male smaller than a sesame seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Lone Star Tick
Amblyomma americanumFemale
Associated with ehrlichiosis and with alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat.
Actual size: adult female about a sesame seed, with a single white dot
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Lone Star Tick, engorged
Amblyomma americanumFemale
After feeding, the body expands and the white spot may stretch, which is why an attached tick can look different from field guides.
Actual size: engorged adult close to a small bean
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Lone Star Tick, engorged underside
Amblyomma americanumFemale
A fed female lone star tick becomes pale and swollen underneath; this stage is often when people notice an attached tick.
Actual size: engorged adult close to a small bean
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Lone Star Tick, nymph
Amblyomma americanumNymph
At this stage the single white spot of the adult is not yet visible, making close inspection especially important.
Actual size: nymph about a poppy seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Lone Star Tick, nymph underside
Amblyomma americanumNymph
Nymphs are tiny and easy to overlook, yet they are active in spring and summer and can transmit ehrlichiosis.
Actual size: nymph about a poppy seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
American Dog Tick
Dermacentor variabilisMale
Can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia across much of the eastern US.
Actual size: adult roughly the size of an apple seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
American Dog Tick, underside
Dermacentor variabilisMale
The ventral view shows the mouthparts and leg arrangement — helpful when comparing a removed tick to reference photos.
Actual size: adult male about an apple seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
American Dog Tick, female
Dermacentor variabilisFemale
The female dorsal shield pattern differs from the male; learning both helps with reliable identification.
Actual size: adult female about an apple seed before feeding
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
American Dog Tick, female underside
Dermacentor variabilisFemale
Before feeding, the female underside shows a compact body shape that changes dramatically after engorgement.
Actual size: adult female about an apple seed before feeding
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
American Dog Tick, engorged
Dermacentor variabilisFemale
After several days of feeding, the body swells and the pattern stretches, which is why an attached tick can look unfamiliar.
Actual size: engorged adult close to a small raisin
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Brown Dog Tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineusMale
Mainly a concern for dogs, and one of the few ticks that can complete its life cycle indoors.
Actual size: adult about a grain of rice when engorged
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Brown Dog Tick, engorged
Rhipicephalus sanguineusFemale
A fully fed brown dog tick becomes pale and rounded, often mistaken for a small skin tag on a pet.
Actual size: engorged adult about a grain of rice
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Zebra Tick
Rhipicephalus pulchellusMale
An African species with bold markings; useful for comparison and rarely seen in the United States.
Actual size: adult close to an apple seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Western Blacklegged Tick
Ixodes pacificus
The main carrier of Lyme disease along the Pacific coast of the United States.
Actual size: nymphs smaller than a pinhead
Photo: CDC Public Health Image Library
Gulf Coast Tick
Amblyomma maculatumMale
Can carry a spotted fever group bacterium; usually found in coastal grasslands and prairies.
Actual size: adult close to an apple seed
Photo taken by Nolan Fernandez
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
Dermacentor andersoni
Found in the Rocky Mountain states and can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever and tularemia.
Actual size: adult about the size of an apple seed
Photo: CDC Public Health Image Library (James Gathany), public domain
Asian Longhorned Tick
Haemaphysalis longicornis
An introduced species now established in parts of the eastern US; females can reproduce without a mate and build large numbers on animals.
Actual size: adult about a sesame seed
Photo: CDC Public Health Image Library (James Gathany), public domain
Groundhog Tick (Woodchuck Tick)
Ixodes cookei
Bites people across the eastern half of the US and is the main vector of Powassan virus.
Actual size: adult about a sesame seed
Reference: CDC — Regions where ticks live
Spinose Ear Tick
Otobius megnini
A soft tick of the southwestern US that mainly feeds in the ears of livestock and pets, and occasionally bites people.
Actual size: larvae and nymphs smaller than a sesame seed
Reference: CDC — Regions where ticks live
Soft Tick (Relapsing Fever Tick)
Ornithodoros hermsi
Lives in rodent nests in mountain cabins of the western US and can transmit tick-borne relapsing fever with a brief, often unnoticed bite.
Actual size: adult about a sesame seed
Reference: CDC — Regions where ticks live
Soft Tick (Southwestern Relapsing Fever Tick)
Ornithodoros turicataFemale
Found in caves and animal burrows of the southwestern US and Florida, and can transmit tick-borne relapsing fever.
Actual size: adult about a sesame seed
Photo: US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, public domain
Cayenne Tick
Amblyomma mixtum
Reported in southern Texas and along the Gulf; a known vector of spotted fever group bacteria in parts of Latin America.
Actual size: adult close to an apple seed
Reference: CDC — Regions where ticks live
This page is a reference tool, not a diagnosis. If you find an attached tick, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers and contact your healthcare provider with any questions about symptoms.
