Aerial yellowjacket
Dolichovespula arenaria
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Alaska Bugs and Insects That Sting or Bite
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
This page lists 3 insects and 8 ticks. 3 are nonnative.
Not every species: no complete official list of Alaska insects exists, so this page covers the ones state and Extension sources name. How lists are built.
Which insects can hurt you
Official sources single out these insects in Alaska, in their own words:
-
Yellowjackets
Stinging. “Some species are nuisance pests when their stinging and scavenging behavior puts them in contact with humans.” University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service
Ticks (arachnids, not insects)
Official sources single out these ticks in Alaska, in their own words:
-
Ticks
Disease. “Tularemia occurs sporadically in Alaska, and humans can become infected from a tick bite and through direct contact with an infected animal.” Alaska Department of Health, Section of Epidemiology
-
Photo: Turner Brockman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · iNaturalist · resized American Dog Tick
Disease vector. “The American dog tick is a vector of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and tularemia.” Alaska Department of Fish and Game
All 3 insects and 8 ticks
From A to Z. Do not handle them.
American Dog Tick (arachnid)
Dermacentor variabilis
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Danger to people
- “The American dog tick is a vector of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and tularemia.” Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- Where in Alaska
- Fairbanks and North Pole area (also in Anchorage/Eagle River, Chugiak and Valdez) Alaska Department of Fish and Game
No confirmed photo of Bird Tick (arachnid)
Bird Tick (arachnid)
Ixodes auritulus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Bird Tick (arachnid)
Bird Tick (arachnid)
Ixodes howelli
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Brown Dog Tick (arachnid)
Brown Dog Tick (arachnid)
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Alaska
- Fairbanks and North Pole area (also in Anchorage/Eagle River, Chugiak and Valdez) Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Gypsy moth
Lymantria dispar
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Size
- Mature caterpillars 1.5 to 2.5 inches long (Missouri: up to 2 inches). Male moths about 1.5-inch wingspread; females larger, about 2 to 2.5 inches.
- How to recognize it
- Older caterpillars have a double row of five pairs of blue spots followed by six pairs of red spots down the back, and tufts of hair on each segment.
- Spongy moth caterpillars do not make silk webs or tents.
- Females are white and cannot fly; males are brown and fly erratically in daytime in July and August.
- Where in Alaska
- The Asian strain has been discovered in the U.S. and Canada recently, and a single male moth was found in a Fairbanks campground in 2006. Alaska Department of Fish and Game
No confirmed photo of Hare or Rabbit Tick (arachnid)
Hare or Rabbit Tick (arachnid)
Haemaphysalis leporispalustris
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Seabird Tick (arachnid)
Seabird Tick (arachnid)
Ixodes signatus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Seabird Tick (arachnid)
Seabird Tick (arachnid)
Ixodes uriae
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Squirrel or Vole Tick (arachnid)
Squirrel or Vole Tick (arachnid)
Ixodes angustus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets
Vespinae (subfamily)
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Danger to people
- “Some species are nuisance pests when their stinging and scavenging behavior puts them in contact with humans.” University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service
When insects are active in Alaska
Records of insects in Alaska peak in June to July. They show when people record insects, not how many there are (about month bars).
If you are bitten or stung
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
How to report
Report invasive species to the ADF&G Invasive Species Hotline 1-877-INVASIV (1-877-468-2748) or [email protected]. Report dangerous wildlife encounters with the ADF&G wildlife encounter form (https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=reportwildlifeencounter.main). Alaska Department of Fish and Game
About this list
The species list comes from No official complete list; stinging insects and ticks from UAF Cooperative Extension, ADF&G and Alaska DEC (Office of the State Veterinarian) pages (University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, various; see sources). 9 more entries come from other official sources named on each card.
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
"Nonnative" and "Invasive" follow the wording of the source list. See invasive species in Alaska.
Sources
- Our Agency: Mission. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Beneficial Arthropods of Alaska: Natural Enemies (PMC-10075). University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. Revised January 2023; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Some species are nuisance pests when their stinging and scavenging behavior puts them in contact with humans.”
- Invasive Species. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Invasive Species: Gypsy Moth (Distribution). Alaska Department of Fish and Game. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Information on Ticks. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of the State Veterinarian. archived copy, captured May 21, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Dog ticks have been introduced and are establishing in Alaska (Wildlife Health and Disease Surveillance Program memorandum). Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 2016 (per file name; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“The American dog tick is a vector of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and tularemia.”
- Ticks and Tickborne Disease Information. Alaska Department of Health, Section of Epidemiology. archived copy, captured March 26, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Tularemia occurs sporadically in Alaska, and humans can become infected from a tick bite and through direct contact with an infected animal.”
- How to Report an Invasive Species you saw in Alaska. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Call the Invasive Species Hotline: 1-877-INVASIV (1-877-468-2748)”
- GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.