Ixodidae
| Ixodidae | |
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| Ixodes ricinus (engorged) | |
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| Family: | Ixodidae C. L. Koch, 1844
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The Ixodidae are the family of hard ticks, one of the two big families of ticks, consisting of over 700 species. They are known as 'hard ticks' because they have a scutum or hard shield, which the other big family of ticks, the soft ticks (Argasidae), lack. They are ectoparasites of a wide range of host species, and some are vectors of disease.
Description
They are distinguished from the soft ticks (Argasidae) by the presence of a scutum.[1] In both the nymph and the adult, a prominent capitulum (head) projects forwards from the animal's body; in the Argasidae, conversely, the capitulum is concealed beneath the body.
They differ too, in their life cycle; Ixodidae that attach to a host will bite painlessly and generally unnoticed, and they remain in place until they engorge and are ready to change their skin; this process may take days or weeks. Some species drop off the host to moult in a safe place, whereas others remain on the same host and only drop off once they are ready to lay their eggs.
Classification
Of the 702 species in 14 genera,[2] some are of considerable economic importance as vectors of diseases caused by bacteria such as Rickettsia and Borrelia.[1]
The family contains these genera:[2]
- Amblyomma – 130 species (includes some of Aponomma)
- Anomalohimalaya – three species
- Bothriocroton – seven species
- Cosmiomma – one species
- Cornupalpatum – one species
- Compluriscutula – one species
- Dermacentor – 34 species (includes Anocentor)
- Haemaphysalis – 166 species
- Hyalomma – 27 species
- Ixodes – 246 species
- Margaropus – three species
- Nosomma – two species
- Rhipicentor – two species
- Rhipicephalus – 82 species (includes Boophilus)
See also
References
- ^ a b D. H. Molyneux (1993). "Vectors". In Francis E. G. Cox (ed.). Modern parasitology: a textbook of parasitology (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 53–74. ISBN 978-0-632-02585-5.
- ^ a b Alberto A. Guglielmone; Richard G. Robbing; Dmitry A. Apanaskevich; Trevor N. Petney; Agustín Estrada-Peña; Ivan G. Horak; Renfu Shao; Stephen C. Barker (2010). "The Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae (Acari: Ixodida) of the world: a list of valid species names" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2528: 1–28.
