Eastern Black-legged Tick Ixodes scapularis

This tiny eastern North American tick has had quite the nomenclatural journey. It was originally assigned one Latin name, then later shown to be the same species despite that previous name—a surprising 1993 discovery that rectified years of scientific confusion. The common names add to the mix: deer tick, black-legged tick, or bear tick, each emphasizing different characteristics depending on region. The "deer tick" comes from its strong preference for white-tailed deer as hosts, though in recent decades this hard-bodied tick has become famous less for its dining habits and far more for the serious diseases it transmits to humans.