lone star tick – Amblyomma americanum
A study in Missouri’s Ozark forests found that some characteristics of landscape terrain are related to abundance of the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). For instance, A. americanum nymphs and adults were found more often in valleys and on north-facing hills than on ridges or south-facing slopes. (Photo credit: Susan Ellis, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org)