What Kind of Bug Is This? Common Bug Groups

Is It a Tick? How to Tell Ticks From Look-Alikes

Ticks: 4 marks to check, what they are often confused with, whether they bite or sting, and where they turn up, quoted from university entomology and IPM sources.

These pages help you narrow a bug down to its group from what you can see. They are not medical advice. Seek medical care promptly for severe symptoms or any sign of an allergic reaction.

Download on the App Store

At a glance

Group: Ticks are not insects but arachnids in the subclass/order Acari; "tick" is the common name for large mite species that attach to hosts for several days at a time.
Body plan: Ticks are arachnids, not insects: adults and nymphs have 4 pairs (8) of legs, while newly hatched larvae have only 6 legs; they have no true antennae (pedipalps serve some of that function); they are wingless for life; hard ticks have a hardened dorsal plate (scutum).
Size: Larvae are extremely tiny when they hatch, smaller than 2 mm; adult and nymph size varies greatly by species and whether they are engorged from feeding, and the source does not give a single adult length range.
Bites or stings: While feeding, ticks can transmit pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoa); known tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever; not every tick species carries every pathogen, and not every bite results in disease.
Where you find them: Commonly found in woodlands, forest edges, ground with thick leaf litter, shrubs, tall grass, and fields; they can also attach to pets and wildlife and be carried into homes.

How to tell it is one of the ticks

Adult and nymph ticks have 8 legs and no true antennae, while adult insects have 6 legs and a pair of antennae — the most direct way to distinguish ticks from insects.
Newly hatched tick larvae have only 6 legs, unlike the 8 legs of nymphs and adults; a tiny tick-like creature with 6 legs may be in the larval stage.
On adult hard ticks, the dorsal scutum covers only about the front half of the body on females, while on males it covers the whole dorsal side — useful for telling males from females.
Ticks cannot fly and do not actively jump to hunt; a common behavior is holding onto the tips of grass or shrubs with the front legs outstretched, waiting for a host to pass by (an "ambush" host-seeking behavior called questing).

Often confused with

People most often mix ticks up with:

Spiders

Open the other page and compare its list against the marks above; the differences are usually in the antennae, wings or the way the body is divided.

Bites and stings

While feeding, ticks can transmit pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoa); known tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever; not every tick species carries every pathogen, and not every bite results in disease. Seek medical care promptly for severe symptoms or any allergic reaction.

Where they turn up

Commonly found in woodlands, forest edges, ground with thick leaf litter, shrubs, tall grass, and fields; they can also attach to pets and wildlife and be carried into homes.

How to photograph it for identification

Get as close as your camera will focus, from directly above, in daylight or a bright lamp. Include the whole body with the legs and antennae in frame; a second shot from the side shows wings and body segments. Put a coin or ruler next to it for scale. For a bite or a bug found on skin or bedding, photograph the bug itself, not the mark. The app names the likely group; use the list above to confirm.

FAQ

Do ticks bite or sting?

What is the quickest way to recognize ticks?

Adult and nymph ticks have 8 legs and no true antennae, while adult insects have 6 legs and a pair of antennae — the most direct way to distinguish ticks from insects.

How do I tell ticks from spiders?

Adult and nymph ticks have 8 legs and no true antennae, while adult insects have 6 legs and a pair of antennae — the most direct way to distinguish ticks from insects. Newly hatched tick larvae have only 6 legs, unlike the 8 legs of nymphs and adults; a tiny tick-like creature with 6 legs may be in the larval stage. The Spiders page lists its own marks.

See what's really crawling, flying, and buzzing past.

Start with a single photo.