Rabbit Tick (Ixodes dentatus)
Scientific name: Ixodes dentatus
Like the “other” rabbit tick (Haemaphysalis leporispalustris), I. dentatus feeds on rabbits, small to medium-sized mammals, and songbirds. There are limited national records of this tick species, which may be an important zoonotic vector of the Lyme bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.
Hosts
In New Jersey, this tick species has been predominantly collected from eastern cotton-tailed rabbits, and there are no records of it biting humans.
Habitat
Grasslands, brushy woodlands, and croplands.
Locations in NJ
Detections in New Jersey have been spotty (Ocean County, Bergen County, Union County), but this tick species is likely widespread across New Jersey.
Active Months
This tick may have an active period in New Jersey from May through November.