This photograph depicts a dorsal view of a female "lone star tick", Amblyomma americanum. Note the characteristic “lone star” marking located centrally on its dorsal surface, at the distal tip of its scutum. To view additional images related to this tick specie, see PHIL 4407, 8676 through 8682, 8684, and 8685.

Even though spirochetes have been seen in A. americanum ticks by microscopy, attempts to culture it in the laboratory have consistently failed. Modified BSK (Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly) is the best medium for cultivating the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, but is apparently not suitable for cultivating the spirochete found in A. americanum. However, a spirochete has been detected in A. americanum by DNA analysis, and was given the name Borrelia lonestari..

Content Providers(s): CDC/ Dr. Amanda Loftis, Dr. William Nicholson, Dr. Will Reeves, Dr. Chris Paddock

Picture & text from CDC/PHIL. For more information on source & for information on color coding used above for different types of ticks, see Tick Pictures from CDC