Lone Star Tick

The lone star tick is a hard tick widespread across the southeastern, south-central, and increasingly northeastern United States. It is named for the single bright silvery-white dot found in the center of the adult female's back, one of the most distinctive markings among North American ticks.

This species is notable among ticks for its unusually active questing behavior, and it feeds on a very broad range of hosts, from small mammals and ground-nesting birds to deer and livestock, contributing to its wide distribution.

• Reddish-brown, oval, flattened body typical of hard ticks
• Adult females have a single, conspicuous silvery-white spot in the center of the back (scutum)
• Adult males lack the central spot but instead show scattered white streaks or spots along the outer margin of the body
• Eight legs in nymphs and adults, six in larvae
• Distinguished from other regional ticks primarily by the star-shaped marking, unique to this species

Lone star ticks are common in wooded areas with dense underbrush, forest edges, and overgrown fields throughout the southeastern and south-central United States, with a range that has expanded into parts of the Midwest and Northeast. They are active from early spring through fall.

Unlike many ticks that passively wait on vegetation for a host to brush by, the lone star tick is known for actively moving toward hosts it detects through carbon dioxide and movement, a more aggressive questing style than most other tick species. It feeds on an unusually wide range of hosts including deer, other mammals, ground-feeding birds, and reptiles, which helps explain its broad geographic spread.

The species follows the typical three-host hard tick life cycle: eggs hatch into six-legged larvae that feed on a first host, molt into eight-legged nymphs that feed on a second host, and finally molt into adults that seek a third host before mating and laying eggs. The full cycle generally takes about one year in warm climates, with each stage capable of feeding on a wide variety of animals.