Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in Louisiana
- 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
Tick Identification in Louisiana
The ticks you are most likely to find in Louisiana, 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.
Carries Lyme
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Established in Louisiana
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia (rare)
Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum
Established in Louisiana
- Size:
- Medium, rounded
- Look for:
- Reddish-brown; female has a single white dot on the back
- Carries:
- Ehrlichiosis, STARI, alpha-gal syndrome
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
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
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
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Dermacentor andersoni
Not established in Louisiana
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with an ornate off-white and gray marbled shield
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia
Pacific Coast tick
Dermacentor occidentalis
Not established in Louisiana
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
Louisiana 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 Louisiana county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Louisiana: the brown dog, Gulf Coast, and Asian longhorned ticks are in the chart above. Tap a county for its daily tick-risk detail.
| County | Deer tick | American dog tick | Lone star tick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia Parish | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Allen Parish | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Ascension Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Assumption Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Avoyelles Parish | Established | Not established | Established |
| Beauregard Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Bienville Parish | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Bossier Parish | Established | Not established | Established |
| Caddo Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Calcasieu Parish | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Caldwell Parish | Established | Not established | Established |
| Catahoula Parish | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Claiborne Parish | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Concordia Parish | Established | Not established | Established |
| De Soto Parish | Reported | Not established | Established |
| East Baton Rouge Parish | Reported | Not established | Established |
| East Carroll Parish | Reported | Not established | Established |
| East Feliciana Parish | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Evangeline Parish | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Franklin Parish | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Grant Parish | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Iberia Parish | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Iberville Parish | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Jackson Parish | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Jefferson Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Jefferson Davis Parish | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Lafayette Parish | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Lafourche Parish | Not established | Established | Reported |
| LaSalle Parish | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Lincoln Parish | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Livingston Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Madison Parish | Reported | Established | Established |
| Morehouse Parish | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Natchitoches Parish | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Orleans Parish | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Ouachita Parish | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Plaquemines Parish | Established | Established | Established |
| Pointe Coupee Parish | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Rapides Parish | Established | Not established | Established |
| Red River Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Richland Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Sabine Parish | Reported | Established | Established |
| St. Bernard Parish | Established | Established | Established |
| St. Charles Parish | Established | Established | Established |
| St. Helena Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| St. James Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | Established | Established | Established |
| St. Landry Parish | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| St. Martin Parish | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| St. Mary Parish | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| St. Tammany Parish | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Tangipahoa Parish | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Tensas Parish | Established | Established | Reported |
| Terrebonne Parish | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Union Parish | Established | Not established | Established |
| Vermilion Parish | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Vernon Parish | Established | Not established | Established |
| Washington Parish | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Webster Parish | Not established | Established | Not established |
| West Baton Rouge Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| West Carroll Parish | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| West Feliciana Parish | Established | Established | Established |
| Winn Parish | Reported | Not established | Established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in Louisiana in 23 of 63 counties (see the table above). 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 Louisiana because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.
Frequently asked questions
- What types of ticks live in Louisiana?
- Louisiana 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 established and causes alpha-gal syndrome. County-level presence is shown in the table above.
- Which Louisiana tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Louisiana. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in Louisiana?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in Louisiana, in 23 of the state's 63 counties (Avoyelles Parish, Bossier Parish, Calcasieu Parish and more, listed in the table above). 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.