Asian Longhorned Tick

The Asian longhorned tick is native to temperate areas of East and Central Asia, including China, Korea, and Japan, as well as Pacific islands including Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji to name a few. The species was not known to be present on the mainland United States until 9 November 2017, when it was first discovered on a sheep farm in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, although it had been intercepted at U.S. ports on import animals and materials at least a dozen times. The Asian longhorned tick has been found in 12 states: New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Arkansas, Maryland, Connecticut, Ohio, and Maine. Attempts to eradicate the species from New Jersey failed; the tick successfully overwintered and has since become established in the state as an invasive species. The tick may have been present in the eastern US for several years, but only recently detected.