Which ticks live in Tennessee?

(WJHL) – The Tennessee Department of Health is warning the public about the spring’s rise in tick bites. Here’s a list of 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: