Amblyomma americanum - wikipedia Amblyomma americanum Northeastern Water Tick Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Arthropoda Class : Arachnida Subclass : Acari Order : Ixodida Family : Ixodidae Genus : Amblyomma Species : A. americanum Binomial name Amblyomma americanum ( Linnaeus, 1758 ) Red indicates where the species is normally found ; Blue indicates other locations where the species has been reported Amblyomma americanum, also known as the Lone Star Tick, the Northeastern Water Tick, or the Turkey Tick, is a type of tick indigenous to much of the eastern United States and Mexico, that bites painlessly and commonly goes unnoticed, remaining attached to its host for as long as seven days until it is fully engorged with blood. It is a member of the phylum Arthropoda, class Arachnida. The adult lone star tick is sexually dimorphic, named for a silvery - white, star - shaped spot or `` lone star '' present near the center of the posterior portion of the adult female shield ( scutum ) ; adult males conversely have varied white streaks or spots around the margins of their shields. A. americanum is also referred to as the turkey tick in some Midwestern U.S. states, where wild turkeys are a common host for immature ticks. It is the primary vector of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, which causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis, and Ehrlichia ewingii, which causes human and canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Other disease - causing bacterial agents isolated from lone star ticks include Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia amblyommii, and Coxiella burnetti. The distribution of the Lone star tick ( Amblyomma americanum ) in the United States Contents 1 Range and Habitat 2 Development 3 Hosts 4 Vector 5 Meat allergy 6 See also 7 Bibliography 8 References 9 External links Range and habitat The lone star tick is widely distributed across the East, Southeast, and Midwest United States. It lives in wooded areas, particularly in second - growth forests with thick underbrush, where white - tailed deer ( the primary host of mature ticks ) reside. Lone star ticks can also be found in ecotonal areas ( transition zones between different biomes ) such as those between forest and grassland ecosystems. The lone star tick utilizes thick underbrush or high grass to attach to its host by way of questing. Questing is an activity in which, in response to stimuli from biochemicals such as carbon dioxide or heat and vibration from movement, the tick climbs up a blade of grass or to the edges of leaves and stretches its front legs forward, mounting the passing host as it brushes against the tick 's legs. Once attached to its host, the tick is able to move around and select a preferred feeding site. Development Development of the lone star tick ( Amblyomma americanum ) The tick follows the normal development stages of egg, larva, nymph and adult. It is known as a 3 - host tick, meaning that it feeds from a different host during the larval, nymphal, and adult stages. The lone star tick attaches itself to a host by way of questing. Hosts The lone star tick is an aggressive, generalist feeder ; it actively pursues blood meals and is nonspecific about the species of host it feeds upon. A. americanum is a three host tick, meaning it requires a separate animal or human host to complete each stage of its life cycle ( larva, nymph, and adult ). The life cycle begins when the blood - engorged adult female tick drops from her host, depositing around 5,000 eggs a few days later, once she has reached a safe and suitable location, such as in mulch or leaf litter. After an incubation period, larvae hatch from their eggs and undergo a quiescent ( resting period ) ; this is followed by the pursuit of a host via questing. After feeding for one to three days, the blood - engorged larva will dislodge from its host to digest its blood meal and molt into a nymph. The nymph follows this same pattern, attaching to a new host via questing and dropping from the host after its blood meal to molt into an adult tick. The female adult tick dies shortly after depositing her eggs. Larval lone star ticks have been found attached to birds and small mammals, and nymphal ticks have been found on these two groups as well as on small rodents. Adult lone star ticks usually feed on medium and large mammals, and are very frequently found on white - tailed deer. Lone star ticks will also feed on humans at any stage of development. Vector Like all ticks, it can be a vector of diseases including human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis ( Ehrlichia chaffeensis ), canine and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis ( Ehrlichia ewingii ), tularemia ( Francisella tularensis ), and southern tick - associated rash illness ( STARI, possibly caused by the spirochete Borrelia lonestari ). STARI exhibits a rash similar to that caused by Lyme disease, but is generally considered to be less severe. Though the primary bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, has occasionally been isolated from lone star ticks, numerous vector competency tests have demonstrated that this tick is extremely unlikely to be capable of transmitting Lyme disease. Some evidence indicates A. americanum saliva inactivates B. burgdorferi more quickly than the saliva of Ixodes scapularis. Recently the bacteria Borrelia andersonii and Borrelia americana have been linked to Amblyomma americanum. In response to two cases of severe febrile illness occurring in two farmers in northwestern Missouri, researchers determined the lone star tick can transmit the heartland virus in 2013. Six more cases were identified in 2012 -- 2013 in Missouri and Tennessee. Meat allergy Main article : Alpha - gal allergy This section needs more medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the section and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2016 ) The bite of this tick can cause a person to develop a meat allergy to nonprimate mammalian meat and meat products. This allergy is characterized by adult onset, and a delayed reaction of urticaria or anaphylaxis appearing 4 -- 8 hours after consumption of the allergen. The allergen has been identified as a carbohydrate called galactose - α - 1, 3 - galactose ( alpha gal ). As well as occurring in nonprimate mammals, alpha gal is also found in cat dander and in patients taking Cetuximab. Commercial tests for alpha gal IgE became available following research. See also Ticks Ticks of domestic animals Lyme disease Bibliography Piesman J, Sinsky RJ., Ability of Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, and Amblyomma americanum ( Acari : Ixodidae ) to acquire, maintain, and transmit Lyme disease spirochetes ( Borrelia burgdorferi ) ; J Med Entomol. 1988 September ; 25 ( 5 ) : 336 - 9. References Jump up ^ Amblyomma americanum at the Encyclopedia of Life ^ Jump up to : Fisher, Emily J. ; Mo, Jun ; Lucky, Anne W. ( 2006 - 04 - 01 ). `` Multiple Pruritic Papules From Lone Star Tick Larvae Bites ''. Archives of Dermatology. 142 ( 4 ). ISSN 0003 - 987X. doi : 10.1001 / archderm. 142.4. 491. ^ Jump up to : `` Geographic distribution of ticks that bite humans ''. cdc.gov. enters for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases ( NCEZID ), Division of Vector - Borne Diseases ( DVBD ). June 1, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` lone star tick - Amblyomma americanum ( Linnaeus ) ''. entnemdept.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Ehrlichiosis CDC ''. www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 12. ^ Jump up to : `` Amblyomma americanum ( Lone star tick ) ''. Wisconsin Ticks and Tick - borne Diseases. 2012 - 05 - 30. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 12. ^ Jump up to : `` CVBD - Lone Star Tick - Amblyomma americanum ''. www.cvbd.org. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 12. ^ Jump up to : Soneshine, Daniel E. ( 1992 ). Biology of Ticks Volume I. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195059107. Jump up ^ Resources, University of California Agriculture and Natural. `` Tick Biology ''. entomology.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 12. Jump up ^ Holderman, Christopher J., and Phillip E. Kaufman. Lone Star Tick Amblyomma Americanum ( Linnaeus ) : ( Acari : Ixodidae ). Entomology and Nematology Department, UF / IFAS Extension. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences ( IFAS ), Jan. 2014. Web. Jump up ^ Edwin J. Masters ; Chelsea N. Grigery ; Reid W. Masters ( June 2008 ). `` STARI, or Masters disease : lone star tick - vectored Lyme - like illness ''. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 22 ( 2 ) : 361 -- 376, viii. PMID 18452807. doi : 10.1016 / j. idc. 2007.12. 010. Jump up ^ K.E. Ledin ; N.S. Zeidner ; J.M.C. Ribeiro ; B.J. Biggerstaff ; M.C. Dolan ; G. Dietrich ; L. VredEvoe ; J. Piesman ( March 2005 ). `` Borreliacidal activity of saliva of the tick Amblyomma americanum ''. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 19 ( 1 ) : 90 -- 95. PMID 15752182. doi : 10.1111 / j. 0269 - 283X. 2005.00546. x. Jump up ^ Kerry L. Clark ; Brian Leydet ; Shirley Hartman ( 2013 ). `` Lyme Borreliosis in Human Patients in Florida and Georgia, USA ''. Int J Med Sci. 10 ( 7 ) : 915 -- 931. ISSN 1449 - 1907. doi : 10.7150 / ijms. 6273. Jump up ^ Harry M. Savage ; Marvin S. Godsey Jr. ; Amy Lambert ; Nickolas A. Panella ; Kristen L. Burkhalter ; Jessica R. Harmon ; R. Ryan Lash ; David C. Ashley ; William L. Nicholson ( 22 July 2013 ). `` First Detection of Heartland Virus ( Bunyaviridae : Phlebovirus ) from Field Collected Arthropods ''. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 89 ( 3 ) : 445 -- 452. PMC 3771279. PMID 23878186. doi : 10.4269 / ajtmh. 13 - 0209. Jump up ^ `` CDC Reports More Cases of Heartland Virus Disease ''. CDC. Retrieved 25 May 2016. Jump up ^ Commins, Scott P. ; James, Hayley R. ; Kelly, Libby A. ; Pochan, Shawna L. ; Workman, Lisa J. ; Perzanowski, Matthew S. ; Kocan, Katherine M. ; Fahy, John V. ; Nganga, Lucy W. ; Ronmark, Eva ; Cooper, Philip J. ; Platts - Mills, Thomas A.E. ( May 2011 ). `` The relevance of tick bites to the production of IgE antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose - α - 1, 3 - galactose ''. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 127 ( 5 ) : 1286 -- 1293. PMC 3085643. PMID 21453959. doi : 10.1016 / j. jaci. 2011.02. 019. Retrieved 20 May 2014. External links Data related to Amblyomma americanum at Wikispecies Media related to Amblyomma americanum at Wikimedia Commons http://www.k-state.edu/parasitology/625tutorials/Tick03.html Tick - borne diseases and mite - borne diseases Bacterial infection ( all G - ) Rickettsiales Rocky Mountain spotted fever Ehrlichiosis ( Human granulocytic, Human monocytic, Human E. ewingii infection ) Boutonneuse fever Spirochaete Lyme disease Relapsing fever Baggio -- Yoshinari syndrome Thiotrichales Tularemia Viral infection Colorado tick fever Tick - borne encephalitis Crimean - Congo hemorrhagic fever Omsk hemorrhagic fever Kyasanur forest disease Powassan encephalitis Heartland virus Kemerovo tickborne viral fever Bhanja virus Protozoan infection Babesiosis Neurotoxin Tick paralysis General Tick infestation Vectors Ticks Ixodes : Ixodes scapularis Ixodes cornuatus Ixodes holocyclus Ixodes pacificus Ixodes ricinus Dermacentor : Dermacentor variabilis Dermacentor andersoni Amblyomma : Amblyomma americanum Amblyomma cajennense Amblyomma triguttatum Ornithodoros : Ornithodoros moubata Ornithodoros hermsi Ornithodoros gurneyi other : Rhipicephalus sanguineus Mites Leptotrombidium deliense Liponyssoides sanguineus Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amblyomma_americanum&oldid=799611148 '' Categories : Arachnids of North America Amblyomma Animals described in 1758 Hidden categories : Encyclopedia of Life ID same as Wikidata Articles with ' species ' microformats Articles needing additional medical references from July 2016 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikispecies Cebuano Español فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Nederlands Русский Suomi Svenska Türkçe Tiếng Việt Winaray Edit links This page was last edited on 8 September 2017, at 19 : 33. 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Question: where can the lone star tick be found
Answer: East, Southeast, and Midwest United States