Which ticks live in Tennessee?

(WJHL) – The Tennessee Department of Health is warning the public about the spring’s rise in tick bites, and News Channel 11 has compiled the species of parasitic arachnids that call the Volunteer State home.

The following information was provided by the Tennessee Department of Health:

American Dog Tick

Name: Dermacentor variabilis
Found In: All of Tennessee
Diseases: Tularemia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Notes: Common species, highest bite risk in spring and summer.

Asian Longhorned Tick

Name: Haemaphysalis longicornis
Found In: Eastern Tennessee
Diseases: No known human diseases
Notes: Invasive, can infest areas if left unchecked.

Black-Legged Tick (Deer Tick)

Name: Ixodes scapularis
Found In: All of Tennessee
Diseases: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus
Notes: Active and able to bite at any temperature above freezing.

Brown Dog Tick

Name: Rhipicephalus sanguineus
Found In: All of Tennessee
Diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Notes: Bites several mammal species including humans, most often found on dogs.

Gulf Coast Tick

Name: Amblyomma maculatum
Found In: Western Tennessee, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states
Diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Notes: Found on mammals, birds and other wildlife. Smallest area of spread in Tennessee.

Lone Star Tick

Name: Amblyomma americanum
Found In: All of Tennessee
Diseases: Ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Heartland virus, STARI, Alpha-gal Syndrome
Notes: Considered “very aggressive,” can cause red meat allergies.

You can find images of each species for identification below: