RAYMOND, Miss. (WTVA) – An invasive pest is crawling its way across the United States.Mississippi State University scientists said on Monday they want state residents to know how to help detect it.It is the Asian longhorned tick, and so far it has been confirmed in Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and more than 20 other states after first being discovered in New Jersey in 2017.They were found infesting a herd of sheep in the Garden State, MSU said.MSU Extension Service entomologist Santos Portugal said there are no confirmed cases of them in Mississippi, but that doesn’t mean they are not here.They are small and reddish-brown with no white coloration or spots, MSU said. They have short, wide mouthparts and will appear in unusually large numbers clustered on livestock or another animal.MSU said the tick is typically a major pest for livestock. However, they can feed on all types of animals and even people.The tick prefers areas with tall grass and high humidity, but also can be found in shaded lawns in neighborhoods.They, like other ticks, can transmit diseases to those they feed on. MSU said this includes anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, theileriosis, and rickettsiosis, in addition to several viruses.If someone wants to submit a tick they believe may be an Asian longhorned tick, they can do so through the Mississippi State Department of Health’s Entomology and Vector Control Program.More details on the process can be found on the Department of Health’s website.To learn more about the Asian longhorned tick, visit the MSU website.Copyright 2026 WTVA. All rights reserved.