Ixodes scapularis

Ixodes scapularis is a hard-bodied tick found in much of the eastern half of North America. Its common name is the black-legged tick, although it is sometimes known by the misnomer deer tick because its adult life stages frequently feed on white-tailed deer. In 1979, ticks found associated with Babesiosis in the northeastern US were given the scientific name Ixodes dammini and the common name deer tick. In 1993, it was shown that Ixodes dammini was the same as a previously identified species, Ixodes scapularis, from the southeastern US, which already had the common name black-legged tick.

The black-legged tick is a vector for several diseases: Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and Powassan virus disease. It is also known to parasitize mice, lizards, migratory birds, etc. especially while the tick is in the larval or nymphal stage.