Ixodidae
Guides
Amblyomma cajennense
Cayenne tick
Amblyomma cajennense, commonly known as the Cayenne tick, is a hard tick species historically considered to range from the southern United States through Central America and the Caribbean to northern Argentina. Molecular studies have revealed this 'species' is actually a complex of multiple cryptic species, with A. cajennense sensu stricto now restricted to the Amazonian region of South America. The species complex is of significant medical and veterinary importance as a vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other rickettsial diseases.
Amblyomma dissimile
Iguana Tick
Amblyomma dissimile is a hard tick (Ixodidae) with an exceptionally broad host range spanning amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds across the Neotropics. It is commonly known as the Iguana Tick due to frequent associations with iguanid lizards. The species exhibits a three-host life cycle and has been documented to reproduce parthenogenetically. Its distribution extends from the southern United States through Central America and South America to northern Argentina, with highest environmental suitability in the Amazon and Pantanal biomes.
Amblyomma maculatum
Gulf Coast tick
Amblyomma maculatum, commonly known as the Gulf Coast tick, is a three-host hard tick native to the southeastern and south-central United States. The species has been expanding its range northward and westward in recent decades, with established populations now documented as far north as Virginia and west to Oklahoma. Adults primarily parasitize large mammals including cattle, deer, and humans, while immature stages feed on small mammals and ground-dwelling birds. The species is a vector of Rickettsia parkeri, the causative agent of American tick bite fever, and has been associated with tick paralysis in rare cases. Heavy infestations on livestock can cause significant economic damage through hide degradation and blood loss.
Dermacentor andersoni
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Dermacentor andersoni, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, is a three-host hard tick found in the Rocky Mountain region of western North America. It is a medically significant vector, primarily transmitting Colorado tick fever virus, with secondary potential for Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Unlike larvae and nymphs, which feed on small mammals, adults will feed on humans. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in coloration and size, with engorged females reaching nearly three times their unfed size.
Dermacentor occidentalis
Pacific Coast tick
Dermacentor occidentalis, commonly known as the Pacific Coast tick, is a hard tick in the family Ixodidae native to western North America. Unfed adults measure approximately 4.5 mm in length with a distinctive silvery-gray exoskeleton. This species is a known vector of several human pathogens including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Pacific Coast tick fever, and tularemia, though it does not transmit Lyme disease. The tick exhibits a three-host life cycle, feeding on a wide range of mammalian, avian, and reptilian hosts throughout its development.
Dermacentor similis
Western Dog Tick
Dermacentor similis is a recently described hard tick species (2021) previously misidentified as western populations of Dermacentor variabilis. Molecular and morphological analyses confirmed it as a distinct species restricted to western North America. Like its eastern counterpart, it is a three-host tick with significant medical and veterinary importance, though its specific vector competence for pathogens remains under investigation.
Ixodes affinis
Ixodes affinis is a hard-bodied tick species distributed across the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Unlike its congener Ixodes scapularis, this species does not bite humans but serves as a competent vector for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Immature stages feed on birds and small mammals, while adults parasitize larger mammals including deer and dogs. Its expanding range into southeastern Virginia and association with migratory birds has raised concerns about its role in pathogen dispersal.
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dentatus
Ixodes dentatus is a hard tick species in the family Ixodidae, first described by Marx in 1899. The species has been recorded in the southeastern United States, including Tennessee and Missouri, and is associated with small mammal hosts such as the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris). It is one of several Ixodes species studied for host associations and seasonal occurrence patterns, though detailed biological information remains limited in accessible literature.
Ixodes kingi
Rotund Tick
Ixodes kingi is a hard tick species in the family Ixodidae, commonly known as the Rotund Tick. It is a three-host tick found in prairie and grassland habitats of western North America, where it parasitizes ground-dwelling mammals including prairie dogs, pocket gophers, and ground squirrels. The species exhibits notable size variation between populations east and west of the Rocky Mountains, with larger specimens found in Alberta and smaller specimens in British Columbia. It is an ectoparasite of wildlife but has been documented on domestic animals and humans.
Ixodes marxi
Squirrel Tick
Ixodes marxi, commonly known as the squirrel tick, is a hard tick species in the family Ixodidae. It is a documented vector of Powassan virus and has been observed to transmit this pathogen to humans. The species is distributed across multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Nymphal stages have been recorded questing on vegetation.
Ixodes pacificus
Western black-legged tick, Western blacklegged tick
Ixodes pacificus, the western black-legged tick, is a hard tick (family Ixodidae) and the principal vector of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) in the western United States. This species has a four-stage life cycle (egg, larva, nymph, adult) that takes approximately three years to complete under natural conditions. Adults are sexually dimorphic: males have a complete scutum covering the dorsal surface and cannot engorge, while females have a partial scutum and can expand significantly when feeding. The species is a known vector for multiple human pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and others.
Ixodes scapularis
deer tick, black-legged tick, bear tick, Eastern Black-legged Tick
Ixodes scapularis is a hard-bodied tick native to the eastern and upper midwestern United States, with expanding populations in Canada. It is the primary vector of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) in North America and transmits multiple other pathogens including Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Powassan virus. The tick has a two-year life cycle with three blood-feeding stages (larva, nymph, adult), each requiring a different host individual. Climate change is driving northward range expansion and increased human encounters.
Rhipicephalus
brown ticks, pepper ticks
Rhipicephalus is a genus of hard ticks (Ixodidae) comprising approximately 90 species, commonly known as brown ticks. The genus is cosmopolitan but most diverse in tropical Africa. Several species are significant vectors of human and animal pathogens, including agents causing East Coast fever, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and rickettsial diseases. The subgenus Boophilus, formerly treated as a separate genus, contains economically important cattle fever ticks. Identification is often difficult due to morphological similarity among species and intraspecific variation, particularly in females and immature stages.