10/28/2022 0 Comments Tick identification![]() Lone star tick ( Amblyomma americanum) - Females are easily identified by the white dot in the center of the back. Three species of hard ticks are commonly encountered in Missouri: During the larval, so-called seed tick stage, ticks have 6 legs and are about as large as a poppy seed. When engorged with blood, ticks may swell up to about 3/8 inch long and turn gray (especially the females). Adults (depending on species) are 1/16 to 1/4 inch long (ticks are often described as about the size of a sesame seed). In their adult forms, our three species of hard ticks have 8 legs, a small plate over the main body on the top side, and tough "skin" (making it hard to crush a tick). For up-to-date, detailed information about tick-borne diseases, consult the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. If you have a tick-borne illness, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible. If you are experiencing possible symptoms of tick-borne illness or have questions about medical issues, please consult your doctor or other health care provider. It is not intended to diagnose tick-borne diseases or provide treatment information. ![]() Note: This field guide page is intended to supply basic introductory biology and natural history information about three Missouri species of ticks. Because they can carry serious, sometimes deadly diseases, it's important to keep up to date on tick-related health issues, and protect yourself from their bites. This species can transmit tularemia, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.Ticks drink the blood of humans and other mammals. Adults prefer medium-sized hosts like raccoons, coyotes, and domestic dogs and cats. Dog tick larvae and nymphs feed on small mammals like mice and voles. Both sexes have short, stubby mouthparts. Females have a brownish body with a white scutum, or shoulder area, while males have an all-over brown and white, marbled color pattern. They are often found in urban and suburban areas as well. They are associated most often with forest edges and open, grassy habitats with little or no tree cover. This species is a known vector of Lyme disease and tick-borne relapsing fever.Īmerican Dog Tick ( Dermacentor variabilis) American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)Īmerican dog ticks are very common in Jackson County. Larvae and nymphs primarily feed on lizards and small rodents while adults prefer larger mammals like deer, squirrels, and raccoons. Western blacklegged ticks are “3 host ticks”, meaning they use 3 different hosts during their lifecycle. ![]() ![]() Adults are most active in late winter and spring while immature stages (nymphs) are more active during spring and summer. Both sexes have narrow mouthparts and very dark legs. Males are smaller than females and appear nearly solid black. Females can be identified by the reddish body coloration and dark scutum, or “shoulders”. In the nymphal stage, these ticks will be even smaller, roughly the size of a pinhead. Adult Western blacklegged ticks are very small, even relative to many other tick species. ![]() The Western blacklegged tick ( Ixodes pacificus) is common in a variety of wooded habitats in Jackson County, particularly at mid to high elevations. Western Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes pacificus) Western Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes pacificus) ![]()
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