Blacklegged Tick (Female)

Description:

Adult female blacklegged ("deer") tick. Females have a black head and dorsal shield, and a dark red abdomen. Adults have 8 legs.

Habitat:

I spotted 6 deer ticks crawling around on me and my kids in less than 5 minutes while on a hike. This one was caught crawling on my hand. This has been a very bad spring for ticks in CT, and we are finding them everywhere we go.

Notes:

Ixodes scapularis is the main vector of Lyme disease in North America. It can also transmit other diseases such as Babesiosis, Powassan, and Anaplasmosis.