Deer Tick or Black-legged Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
Deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) are the most popular species found in the United States, particularly in the eastern U.S. region. Deer ticks have a distinct reddish body with a black dorsal shield. They are also the smallest species in North America, being around the same size as a poppy seed.
American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
The American dog (Dermacentor variabilis) tick inhabits the eastern part of the United States and also a small segment of the west coast (CA region). They are the widely known to be the largest tick species. American dog ticks have brown colored bodies with decorated dorsal shield.
Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
Brown dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) can be found all over the United States but are primarily located in the southern states of the U.S. They have a reddish-brown color and do not acquire any colored dorsal shield.
Lone-star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
Lone-star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) are found in the U.S, covering most of the east coast primarily the southeastern region. Lone-star ticks are easily distinguished by a single white dot on the dorsal shield of a female tick and reddish, brown bodies.
Western Black-legged Tick (Ixodes pacificus)
The Western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is found all along the west coast of the U.S. Western black-legged ticks have nearly the same physical features to the deer tick, except they can only be found along the west coast.
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni)
Rocky Mountain wood ticks (Dermacentor andersoni) are found primarily around the Rocky Mountain area, in states such as Nebraska, S. Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. Rocky Mountain wood ticks have an overall reddish colored body. Female ticks display white colored dorsal shields, while male ticks display gray and white spotted dorsal shields.