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TIK start
Family:

Soft ticks
Hard ticks

Life stage:
Larvae
Nymph
Adult

Genera
Amblyomma
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Boophilus
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Dermacentor
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Haemaphysalis
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Hyalomma
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Ixodes
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* Species Identification
* Host animals

Rhipicephalus
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TICK IDENTIFICATION KEY


BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Ixodes ricinus

GENUS

Ixodes

SPECIES

ricinus

LOCATION

Europe and north Africa (from Iceland to Russia and

down to the Atlas Mountains/Iran)
HABITAT Woodlands, heath lands, forests and bushes
ACTIVITY From March to June and August to November
LIFE CYCLE Three host tick
  egg to adult takes 1-6 years (usually 2 or 3 years)
MATING HABIT On or off host before females can engorge
  Females feed for 6-13 days before dropping on the
  ground, laying thousands of eggs and dying
FEEDING HABIT Female adults can grow 200 times their initial size
  when engorged. Feeding causes tick paralysis
HOSTS Adults target medium to large mammals: sheep,
  cattle, dogs, deer, men, horses
  Nymph and Larva target small mammals (90%
  insectivores), rodents, rabbits, birds, reptiles and bats
HOST SEEKING Adults seek host using Haller's organ
  Immature stages do not seek host
DISEASES Dogs: Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzeli, B. garnii
Cattle: Babesia divergens (redwater), B. bovis,
  B. ovis, Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease),
  Staphylococcus aureus (sheep tick pyremia),
  Ehrlichia phagocytophila (cattle tick borne fever),
  Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), Rickettsia conorii
  (Boutonneuse fever), Anaplasma marginale
  Horses: Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease),
  Louping ill, Ehrlichia equi
  Man: Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Louping ill,
  Coxiella burnetii (Q fever),Tick borne encephalitis
SIZE

Female: 3-3.6 mm

  Female engorged: 11 mm
  Male: 2.4-2.8 mm
  Unfed Nymph: 1.3-1.5 mm
REFERENCES BAKER 1999, HILLYARD 1996, LATOUR 1997,
  URQUHART et al 1987

Ixodes canisuga

GENUS
Ixodes
SPECIES canisuga
LOCATION
Europe: Great Britain, France, Belgium, Holland,
Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Northern Spain,
east up to the south of Asia
HABITAT Kennels and burrows
ACTIVITY Active throughout the year (little diapause)
LIFE CYCLE Three host tick
MATING HABIT Females lay about 800 eggs before dying
FEEDING HABIT Females hardly engorge when feedingFeeding is
of shortduration
HOSTS All stages target medium to large mammals: fox,
badgers, mink, dogs, cats
HOST SEEKING Males are rarely on host
DISEASES Badgers: Babesia missiroli
Pasteurella pestis (plague) in Russia
SIZE Female: 2.8-3.2 mm
Female engorged: 8 mm
Male: 2-2.2 mm
Unfed Nymph: 1.2-1.4 mm
REFERENCES HILLYARD 1996, URQUHART et al 1987

Ixodes trianguliceps

GENUS
Ixodes
SPECIES trianguliceps
LOCATION Europe: Great Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium,
  Holland, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy,
  Northern Spain, Norway, Sweden,
  Poland and Eastwards up to South of Asia
HABITAT Humid coniferous/deciduous forests
  Adult and Nymph inhabit nests and burrows
  Larva attaches host from plant leaves
ACTIVITY Larva: October-March
  Nymph: May-June
  Adult females: March-May
LIFE CYCLE Three host tick
MATING HABIT Off host
FEEDING HABIT Males do not feed
HOSTS All stages target small mammals: bank vole,
  shrews, mice, rats and voles.
  Adults and Nymph favour mice, larva favour shrews
  They are also found on hedgehogs, squirrels, fox,
  rabbits, hares and mole
  Accidentally on man, horses, lizards and small birds
HOST SEEKING No
DISEASES Babesia microti (human babesiosis), Coxiella burnetii
  (Q fever), Tickborne encephalitis (TBE),
  Francisella tularensis (tularemia), Borrelia burgdorferi
  (France), Louping ill (Great Britain)
SIZE

Female: 2-2.4 mm

  Female engorged: 8 mm
  Male: 1.8-2.2 mm
  Unfed Nymph: 1.0-1.2 mm
REFERENCES HILLYARD 1996