Division of Disease Control and Health Protection

Tick Life Cycle

General tick life cycle (may vary depending on tick species)

Most people are infected by nymphal stages during the spring and summer.  Nymphs are often small enough to escape notice and so can stay attached longer than adults, increasing risk of disease transmission.

Tick Identification

Ticks suspected as potential disease vectors in Florida are among the following:

Ixodes scapularis

Common name	Black-legged tick
Seasonal abundance
Larvae and Nymphs	April-August
Adults	September-May
Primary Hosts
Larvae and Nymphs	Reptiles (skinks and snakes), birds, and some rodents
Adults	Larger animals including cattle and humans
Associated diseases	Lyme Disease, Babesiosis

Black-legged tick at University of Florida IFAS Extension: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/document_in300

Amblyomma americanum

Common name	Lone Star Tick
Seasonal abundance
Larvae	June-November
Nympths	February-October
Adults	April-August (peak in July)
Primary Hosts
Larvae and Nymphs	Small mammals and birds, do not feed on rodents
Adults	Deer, cattle, and humans
Associated diseases	Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis, STARI

Lone star tick at Texas A&M University Entomology: http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg370.html

Dermacentor variabilis

Common name	American dog tick
Seasonal abundance
Larvae	July-February
Nymphs	January-March
Adults	March-September
Primary Hosts
Larvae and Nymphs	Almost exclusively small rodents, particularly mice and cotton rats
Adults	Large variety of mammals and humans
Associated diseases	Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

American dog tick at University of Florda IFAS Extension: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/document_in781

Amblyomma maculatum

Common name	Gulf Coast tick
Seasonal abundance
Nymphs	February-August
Adults	March-November
Primary Hosts
Larvae and Nymphs	Small rodents and ground dwelling birds
Adults	Large variety of mammals and humans (primarily ears of large mammals)
Associated diseases	Rickettsia parkeri

Gulf Coast tick at Texas A&M University Entomology: http://insects.tamu.edu/feature/tick/

Amblyomma variegatum

Common name	Bont tick
Seasonal abundance	Not currently in Florida, could be introduced from the Caribbean
Associated diseases	African tick-bite fever, Heartwater in ruminants, and Dermatophilosis (skin infection)

Bont tick at United States Department of Agriculture: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/international_safeguarding/index.shtml

Family Argasidae

Common name	Argasid tick ("soft ticks")
Life Cycle	Adult females can feed and lay eggs several times during their lifetime.  Soft tick species may also undergo more than one nymphal molt before reaching the adult stage.
Habitat	Animal shelters or burrows, caves, poor-quality human dwellings
Associated diseases	Unknown