Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
sheep tick or castor bean tick
Ixodes scapularis
51.4427, 6.06087
Field Notes
Description:
In common with other species of Ixodes, I. ricinus has no eyes and is not ornate; it has no festoons (wrinkles along the posterior margin). The palpi are longer than they are wide, and there is an anal groove above the anus. It has a hard dorsal shield which covers the entire opisthosoma (abdomen), but only part of it in females and nymphs. I. ricinus is the largest of the three common species of Ixodes in the British Isles (the other two being I.canisuga, the "British dog tick", and I. trianguliceps, the "vole tick"). Adult males are 2.4–2.8 millimetres (0.09–0.11 in) long, and unfed nymphs are 1.3–1.5 mm (0.05–0.06 in) long; females are 3.0–3.6 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long before feeding and 11 millimetres (0.43 in) long when engorged
Habitat:
Ixodes ricinus is found across Europe and into neighbouring parts of North Africa and the Middle East, extending as far north as Iceland and as far east as parts of Russia. Its northern limit seems to be determined by environmental factors, including temperature, since a series of mild winters in Scandinavia coincided with an expansion northwards in the range of I. ricinus.
I. ricinus is most frequent in habitats where its hosts are plentiful, including woodlands, heaths and forests. It is most prevalent in relatively humid areas, and is absent from much of the Mediterranean Region where summers are dry
Notes:
A number of tick-borne diseases can be transmitted by I. ricinus to a variety of mammal hosts. Dogs can be infected with Lyme disease (borreliosis), caused by the spirochaete bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzeli and B. garnii. Cattle can become infected with redwater fever (from the protozoans Babesia divergens, B. bovis and B. ovis), Lyme disease (from Borrelia burgdorferi), sheep tick pyemia (Staphylococcus aureus), cattle tick-borne fever (Anaplasma phagocytophila), Q fever (Coxiella burnetii), Boutonneuse fever (Rickettsia conorii) and the bacterium Anaplasma marginale. Horses may be infected with Lyme disease, Anaplasma phagocytophila, and the viral infection "louping ill". Humans can become infected with Lyme disease, louping ill, Q fever and tick-borne encephalitis
---- I spottet the tick, at the beginning,climbing up my cloves, while i shot some fungi. I took fast pictures of the tick, aslong as i could ignore her.After i blew it away, i could not find her back at the ground between the leaves. She was "starved" and not at my skin,at home i check everything 3 times.I hate it, i still feel the itch everywhere. (but they will also survive,BUT, please not on me !!)
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment
Sign in to comment