Black legged tick (Deer tick)
Scientific Name: Ixodes scapularis
Order & Family: Ixodida/Ixodidae
Size: 1mm (larva) to 5mm (unfed adult female)
Natural Habitat
Wooded areas, brushy fields, and tall grass where hosts like mice and deer are present.
Diet & Feeding
Blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Behavior Patterns
Questing behavior, where they wait on vegetation to latch onto passing hosts; four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult.
Risks & Benefits
Primary vector of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis; no direct benefits to humans, but serves as a food source for some reptiles and birds.
Identified on: 5/5/2026