Western Deer Tick
Ixodes pacificus
The Western “Deer” tick (Ixodes pacificus), actually called the Western Blacklegged tick, can transmit the organisms responsible for causing Anaplasmosis and Lyme disease in humans. Wild rodents (such as white-footed mice) and other mammals are likely reservoirs of these pathogens. This tick is distributed along the Pacific coast of the United States. Larvae and nymphs feed on birds and small rodents, while adult ticks feed on deer and other mammals. Both adult and nymphal ticks are known to transmit disease to humans.