Ixodes ricinus

SPECIES: Ixodes ricinus (order Acarina) (hard tick)

COMMON NAME: Castor bean tick

SIZE: Length: 1-2 mm to 10-15 mm after feeding.

LIFECYCLE: Cycle very similar to that of R. sanguineus. Once it becomes an adult, the eggs are laid in 4-5 mm plates. The lifecycle lasts one or more years. In Central Europe, the normal adult activities of Ixodes ricinus occur within a temperature range of 18-25°C, while activity is limited between 5° and 15°C. Normal activity of the nymphs takes place between 10 and 22°C; for the larvae, between 15 and 27°C.

HABITAT: The species is well known to those who have lived or live in the countryside or in the woods. These ticks are experiencing a period of revival due to the increasing integration between city and forest. It is not hard to spot it on low vegetation (grass, bushes, undergrowth) where it waits for a passing host. The period of increased possibility of aggression from this parasite runs from April/May to September/October.

DIET: The tick is not particular and can attack many different hosts, including large and small mammals, birds, and even reptiles. It also attacks humans without difficulty.

DAMAGE: is considered the principal vector of Lyme disease, which is a bacterial disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) that progressively affects the skin, joints, nervous system and internal organs.

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