Community identification
Lone Star Tick
Amblyomma americanum
- Order & Family
- Parasitiformes, Ixodidae
- Size
- 1mm to 5mm unfed, up to 10mm or more when engorged.
Natural Habitat
Wooded areas with dense underbrush and high populations of white-tailed deer.
Diet & Feeding
Vertebrate blood acquired through parasitic feeding on mammals and birds.
Behavior Patterns
Active questing from low vegetation to latch onto passing hosts; three-host life cycle.
Risks & Benefits
Transmits pathogens causing Ehrlichiosis and STARI, and can induce alpha-gal syndrome causing red meat allergy.