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Species overviewNorth America

What is Dermacentor variabilis?

Dermacentor variabilis is the American dog tick, a hard tick widely recorded east of the Rocky Mountains and in limited western areas of the United States.

Reviewed by VuxLore® Knowledge Team For North American residents and travellers

Short answer

Dermacentor variabilis is the American dog tick, a hard tick widely recorded east of the Rocky Mountains and in limited western areas of the United States.

At a glance

Adults commonly feed on medium-sized and large mammals and may bite people. Its distribution and seasonal activity are not identical in every location.

Key takeaways

• It is a patterned Dermacentor tick.

• Adult females are an important human-biting stage.

• Use current regional maps rather than old range assumptions.

Why the scientific name matters

Recent work has distinguished a western species, Dermacentor similis, from specimens previously grouped with the American dog tick. Common names and older maps can therefore hide important taxonomic detail.

Presence is not infection

CDC lists tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever among diseases associated with this vector in the United States. Finding the species does not show that an individual tick carries a pathogen.

Sources and further reading

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Where Ticks Live

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tickborne Diseases of the United States