Tick species identification

Lone star tick

What to look for

Reddish-brown. Adult females usually have one distinct pale dot on the back; adult males have pale markings around the body edge.

Lone star tick photo

Compare more than color alone. Sex, life stage, feeding, angle, and lighting can change what the markings look like.

Adult female lone star tick with a single white spot on its reddish-brown back — Adult female. The single white dot on the back is the classic field mark. Photo: James Gathany, CDC PHIL #4407, public domain.

Known disease associations

— Ehrlichiosis
— Tularemia
— Heartland virus disease
— Bourbon virus disease
— STARI

Finding this species does not mean the tick carried a pathogen or that transmission occurred.

Photos need context

Feeding, life stage, image angle, and damage can change how a tick looks. A useful identification weighs several visible traits together and states uncertainty when the photo does not show enough detail.

References: CDC tick information.