TickZone

Tick Identification in Iowa

The ticks you are most likely to find in Iowa, 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 Iowa

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 Iowa

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 Iowa

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 →

Iowa 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 Iowa county

These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Iowa: 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
Adair CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Adams CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Allamakee CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Appanoose CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Audubon CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Benton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Black Hawk CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Boone CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Bremer CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Buchanan CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Buena Vista CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Butler CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Calhoun CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Carroll CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cass CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cedar CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cerro Gordo CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cherokee CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Chickasaw CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clarke CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clay CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clayton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clinton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Crawford CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dallas CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Davis CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Decatur CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Delaware CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Des Moines CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dickinson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dubuque CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Emmet CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Fayette CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Floyd CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Franklin CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Fremont CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Greene CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Grundy CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Guthrie CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hamilton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hancock CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hardin CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Harrison CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Henry CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Howard CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Humboldt CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Ida CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Iowa CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jackson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jasper CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jefferson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Johnson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jones CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Keokuk CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Kossuth CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Lee CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Linn CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Louisa CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Lucas CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Lyon CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Madison CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Mahaska CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Marion CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Marshall CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Mills CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Mitchell CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Monona CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Monroe CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Montgomery CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Muscatine CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
O'Brien CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Osceola CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Page CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Palo Alto CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Plymouth CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Pocahontas CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Polk CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Pottawattamie CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Poweshiek CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Ringgold CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Sac CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Scott CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Shelby CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Sioux CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Story CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Tama CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Taylor CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Union CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Van Buren CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wapello CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Warren CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Washington CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wayne CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Webster CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Winnebago CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Winneshiek CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Woodbury CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Worth CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wright CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is reported in Iowa. 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 Iowa because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Iowa tick risk by town

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

See Iowa →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

Frequently asked questions

What types of ticks live in Iowa?
Iowa 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 Iowa tick carries Lyme disease?
The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Iowa. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
Are there lone star ticks in Iowa?
Yes. The lone star tick is reported in Iowa. 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.