Tick Identification

Deer ticks (blacklegged ticks): Top row: nymph and larva. Bottom row: Adult female and adult male. Most people notice and find adult ticks but be alert for tiny nymphal ticks as well. The deer ticks (blacklegged ticks) are reddish to dark brown in appearance without white markings.

Wood ticks (American dog ticks): The bottom row depicts adult wood ticks (American dog ticks) compared with adult deer ticks (top row). Wood ticks have the whitish markings on the body and are generally larger than the deer ticks. 

Lone star ticks: They are not common in Wisconsin but are abundant in Southern Illinois. The female has the white spot on the back. The other tick is a male and has small white markings near the rear. They are also rounder in shape than the deer tick and the wood tick.