A new type of tick with Southern roots has settled into Sandy Neck Beach, the Cape Cod Times reports.
About a dozen "lone star" ticks were found off trails at the beach's park, Cape Cod Cooperative Extension entomologist Larry Dapsis says.
This is the first time this type of tick has been found on Cape Cod, and the samples were sent to the University of Massachusetts Amherst for further studies.
"If you're going to Sandy Neck, don't panic," Dapsis says. "You might be running into a different sort of beast."
Lone star ticks are able to transmits diseases, including tularemia and human ehrlichiosis, which can be serious. They are known for being more aggressive in seeking out blood meals in comparison to other types of ticks.
Commonly found in the South, lone star ticks get their name due to a distinctive silvery white spot found on the female's back.
"So far the lone star tick's digs in New England have been limited to islands, including Prudence Island in Rhode Island and Cuttyhunk and Nashawena off Cape Cod, with the odd tick showing up here and there on the mainland," the Times writes.
County officials will be on the look-out for the ticks' westward migration. UMass Amherst will release a report with their findings about the tick samples shortly.
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