TickZone

Tick Identification in Indiana

The ticks you are most likely to find in Indiana, with photos and the size, color, and markings that tell them apart. Only the deer tick carries Lyme disease. Below the chart, see which types live in your county.

Female deer tick (blacklegged tick) on a green leaf, with a reddish-orange body, dark shield, and black legs, no white markings

Deer tick

Ixodes scapularis

Carries Lyme

Established in Indiana

Size:
Small, a sesame seed (nymph: a poppy seed)
Look for:
Reddish-orange body, solid dark shield, black legs, no pattern
Carries:
Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan
Full deer tick guide →
Female American dog tick with an ornate off-white and brown mottled shield behind the head

American dog tick

Dermacentor variabilis

Established in Indiana

Size:
Larger, an apple seed
Look for:
Brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield
Carries:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia (rare)
Full american dog tick guide →
Female lone star tick on a green blade of grass, reddish-brown with a single bright white dot in the center of its back

Lone star tick

Amblyomma americanum

Reported in Indiana

Size:
Medium, rounded
Look for:
Reddish-brown; female has a single white dot on the back
Carries:
Ehrlichiosis, STARI, alpha-gal syndrome
Full lone star tick guide →
Female brown dog tick, uniform reddish-brown with no distinct markings

Brown dog tick

Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Found nationwide, the one tick that infests homes and kennels indoors

Size:
Medium, narrow body that tapers toward the head
Look for:
Uniform reddish-brown, no ornate markings
Carries:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, canine diseases
Full brown dog tick guide →
Female Gulf Coast tick with an ornate silvery patterned shield

Gulf Coast tick

Amblyomma maculatum

A southern tick spreading north into the mid-Atlantic

Size:
Large, bigger than a lone star
Look for:
Silvery ornate markings on the shield, no single dot
Carries:
Rickettsia parkeri spotted fever
Full gulf coast tick guide →
Female Asian longhorned tick, small and uniform reddish-brown with no markings

Asian longhorned tick

Haemaphysalis longicornis

A newer arrival, established in the mid-Atlantic and spreading north

Size:
Small and plain, often found in large numbers
Look for:
Reddish-brown with no markings
Carries:
Mainly a livestock threat; human disease risk under study
Full asian longhorned tick guide →

Indiana establishment is shown for the three ticks CDC tracks by county; the others carry a regional range note. Source: CDC tick surveillance (ArboNET Tick Module), 2025. County surveillance is coarse: “not established” is a lack of records, not proof a tick is absent.

Deer, dog and lone star ticks by Indiana county

These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Indiana: the brown dog, Gulf Coast, and Asian longhorned ticks are in the chart above. Tap a county for its daily tick-risk detail.

CountyDeer tickAmerican dog tickLone star tick
Adams CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Allen CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Bartholomew CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Benton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Blackford CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Boone CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Brown CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Carroll CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cass CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clark CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clay CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clinton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Crawford CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Daviess CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dearborn CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Decatur CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
DeKalb CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Delaware CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dubois CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Elkhart CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Fayette CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Floyd CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Fountain CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Franklin CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Fulton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Gibson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Grant CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Greene CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hamilton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hancock CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Harrison CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hendricks CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Henry CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Howard CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Huntington CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jackson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jasper CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jay CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jefferson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jennings CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Johnson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Knox CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Kosciusko CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
LaGrange CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Lake CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
LaPorte CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Lawrence CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Madison CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Marion CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Marshall CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Martin CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Miami CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Monroe CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Montgomery CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Morgan CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Newton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Noble CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Ohio CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Orange CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Owen CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Parke CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Perry CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Pike CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Porter CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Posey CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Pulaski CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Putnam CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Randolph CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Ripley CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Rush CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Scott CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Shelby CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Spencer CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
St. Joseph CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Starke CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Steuben CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Sullivan CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Switzerland CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Tippecanoe CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Tipton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Union CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Vanderburgh CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Vermillion CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Vigo CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wabash CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Warren CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Warrick CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Washington CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wayne CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wells CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
White CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Whitley CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is reported in Indiana. Its bite can cause alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat.

Do not overlook the tiny ones

Nymph deer ticks are the size of a poppy seed and cause most Lyme cases in Indiana because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Indiana tick risk by town

A daily 0–100 tick-risk score for every town in Indiana.

See Indiana →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

Frequently asked questions

What types of ticks live in Indiana?
Indiana has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease and is established across the state; the American dog tick, which is established; and the lone star tick, which is reported and causes alpha-gal syndrome. County-level presence is shown in the table above.
Which Indiana tick carries Lyme disease?
The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Indiana. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
Are there lone star ticks in Indiana?
Yes. The lone star tick is reported in Indiana. It causes alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy.
How can I tell these ticks apart?
Use size, color, and legs. The deer tick is small with a reddish-orange body, a solid dark shield, and black legs. The American dog tick is larger and brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield. The female lone star tick has a single white dot on her back. The chart above shows each one.