TICK IMAGES

Other common tick species:

The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is another species that often attaches in both its nymphal and adult stages to humans. Although abundant in other regions of the U. S., it is not evenly distributed throughout Rhode Island. This species has also been implicated in the transmission of several diseases, including Lyme disease and Ehrlichiosis.

Blacklegged (Deer) Tick, Ixodes scapularis.
Note tear-drop shape and relatively small size. Dorsal sheild is blackish while the body behind it is reddish-brown which fades to grey on engorged specimens.

American Dog Tick, Dermacentor variabilis.
This is the largest and most widespread tick in our area. Note the contrast between the whitish patterned dorsal sheild and the dark-brown body.

Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum.
This tick is known to occur in large numbers on islands in the Narragansett Bay. Note the metallic looking "star" on the rear of the dorsal sheild and the overall chestnut-brown color.

A comparison of the three tick species.

Tick Pics:

Amblyomma americanum, the Lone Star Tick (larva with penny for size comparison) - via Iowa State University
Dermacentor variabilis, the American Dog Tick (male) - via Iowa State University
Ixodes scapularis, the Blacklegged or Deer Tick (male) - via Iowa State University
Ixodes scapularis, the Blacklegged or Deer Tick (female) - via Iowa State University
Ixodes scapularis, the Blacklegged or Deer Tick (nymph, engorged) - via Iowa State University
Ixodes scapularis the Blacklegged or Deer Tick (larva) - via Iowa State University

Tick Flics:

Ixodes scapularis (female) [60K], MPEG format or QuickTime [182k]
Ixodes scapularis (male) [378K], MPEG format or QuickTime [876k]
Ixodes scapularis (larva) [114K], MPEG format or QuickTime [484k]

**All of these movies are courtesy of the Iowa State University's Deer Tick Home Page. In addition to the above pics and flics, they have more pictures available.

Here are a few other examples of Ixodid ticks:

The Lone Star Tick - male

The Gulf Coast Tick - female

The Brown Dog Tick - nymph

The Brown Dog Tick - male

The American Dog Tick - larva

The American Dog Tick - nymph

The American Dog Tick - male

The American Dog Tick - female

The Rabbit Tick - male

The Rabbit Tick - female

The Blacklegged Tick - male