Black-legged Tick (also known as Deer Tick)
Scientific Name: Ixodes scapularis
Order & Family: Order: Ixodida, Family: Ixodidae
Size: Nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed (1-2 mm); unfed adults are 3-5 mm.
Natural Habitat
Wooded areas, brushy fields, and tall grass where animal hosts frequent.
Diet & Feeding
Obligate blood-feeders, consuming blood from mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles.
Behavior Patterns
They are 'questing' parasites that wait on vegetation to latch onto passing hosts; they undergo four life stages over roughly two years.
Risks & Benefits
Primary vector for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis in North America; they provide food for some birds and reptiles but are considered significant public health pests.
Identified on: 5/21/2026