Ixodes dentatus

Scientific Name: Ixodes dentatus

Common Name: None

Description: Adult females are typically less than 1/8 inch in length. They are brown to dark brown in color with a darker dorsal shield or scutum on the back, directly behind the head.

Habitat/Range: Ixodes dentatus is primarily distributed in the eastern United States along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Georgia. They are rarely found in Maine, though can inhabit grasslands, briar patches, brushy woodland borders, and areas with a mix of cropland.

Life Cycle/Hosts: Ixodes dentatus is a three-host tick, meaning it utilizes a different host at each of its three active life stages (larva, nymph, and adult). The primary hosts are rabbits and hares, most commonly the eastern cottontail rabbit, though immature stages have also been collected from birds. Ixodes dentatus is not commonly found feeding on humans.

Medical/Veterinary Importance: Ixodes dentatus rarely feeds on humans and is thus not of particular concern regarding disease transmission. In rabbits, they can cause annoyance, irritation, and possibly anemia.