Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Arthropoda Subphylum – Chelicerata Class – Arachnida Order – Acari Suborder – Ixodida Families – Ixodidae (hard ticks), Agarasidae (soft ticks) and Nuttallielidae (one species in southern Africa)
There are approximately 900 species of ticks worldwide, with 21 species occurring in Illinois.
The 4 species that people in Illinois are likely to encounter are the American Dog tick, Black-legged tick, Lone Star tick, and Brown Dog tick. Recently the Gulf Coast Tick has begun invading southern Illinois.
American Dog Ticks, (Dermacentor variabilis)
the most commonly encountered in Illinois
Adults active from April to September
can carry the pathogens for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia.
Black-legged Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
present year round
can carry the pathogens for Lyme disease, Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis
All life stages of the Black-legged Tick will bite humans
also called Deer Tick.
Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
found from April through fall
all stages will bite humans
can carry the pathogens for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, and Erlichiosis.
Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
rarely bites humans
not an important carrier of diseases for humans
tropical species – unable to survive outdoors during Illinois winters.
The Gulf Coast Tick has recently been documented in Illinois. It carries pathogens for Ricketsia parkeri rickettsiosis, a disease similar to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
