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
Ixodes frontalis
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
Ixodes acuminatus
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
Ixodes apronophorus
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

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Home Glossary Anatomy References

Frank L. Ruedisueli

Nottingham Trent University

(Note: all images are Copyright)